OK, this is officially getting weird. It doesn't matter what I do, I will score 100 and change on any golf course, under any conditions, any day of the week. Tie one hand behind my back and take away half my clubs – I will shoot 102. Tee off just 100 yards from every hole – I will shoot 102. It really is unbelievable. For proof, I offer an account of my latest round, which was my first ever visit to Rockway Vineyards in St. Catharines, Ontario.
I began the day intending to employ the trick I had used effectively in the latter half of my previous round at Woodington Lake. On that day, I slowed my swing speed with the driver and ended up hitting 8 of the last 10 fairways. I tried the same thing for the first 6 holes at Rockway and hit a grand total of zero fairways. Two of those were par-3 holes, so I was actually 0 for 4. Still, that was enough for me to realize that the mellow approach wasn't working. Beginning on the seventh hole, and for the remainder of the round, I was much more aggressive on the teeing ground.
August 28, 2013
August 26, 2013
Woodington Fake
Woodington Lake Golf Club features two 18-hole courses that are very well designed. The Legend and The Legacy, as the two courses are known, are vastly different in style, but both offer excellent variety and challenge. Unfortunately, management at the club has implemented policies that ruin the golfing experience. Specifically, the club insists that golfers use power carts on the Legacy course at all times. Power carts are also mandatory on the Legend course at specified times (9 am – 2 pm, Wed – Fri & Open – 2 pm, Weekends & Holidays).
I much prefer to walk a golf course, for various reasons. Due to a knee injury, I cannot perform any rigorous physical activities. Walking 18 holes is way for me to exercise, without putting excessive strain on my knee. I also enjoy the outdoors much more when I'm walking. I live in the city and spend enough time trapped in vehicles. Finally, I play better when I walk. I can focus on my own game, rather than my cart partner's game. I also play faster when I walk. I spend less time searching for balls, because I can walk directly to them. I can also walk directly from a green to the next teeing ground, instead of following a winding cart path.
Woodington Lake's mandatory cart policy is pointless – unless the point is to swindle its patrons. At $22.60 per player, the club has the most expensive cart fees I've seen anywhere. If it walks like a money grab and talks like a money grab – well, it's a money grab. I have no problem with clubs charging whatever they want for a round of golf. If you think you're a premium golf course, then go ahead and charge a premium green fee. But don't advertise a lower green fee, only to gouge patrons with a ridiculous fee for mandatory carts. You're not fooling anyone.
In fact, the club is only hurting itself. I sincerely hope Woodington Lake enjoys the $22.60 cart fee it collected from me on a recent visit. It will cost them hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in lost green fees for future rounds. I personally, will not go back until they change their policy. I have already recommended to the group I played with not to return. Finally, I will recommend the same to anyone who will listen. Browse the golf message boards or ask members of the GTA golfing community and you'll realize I'm not alone. Woodington Lake is alienating a lot of players – dedicated golfers who are not afraid to vocalize their displeasure.
With that nonsense out of the way, let me turn to a discussion of my performance. I started the round with a mix of good and bad shots. On hole #2, for example, I pulled a drive well left of the fairway. However, I saved par on the par-5 hole with a pair of good iron shots, followed by an excellent chip and putt. A weak drive on the next par-5, which is hole #4, didn't really hurt me. My second shot was an excellent 7-iron, leaving 140 yards to the green from the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately, I pulled my 9-iron slightly, catching a large hill that kicked the ball well left of the green. A 3-putt to finish resulted in a double-bogey.
In fact, putting let me down in the early stages of the round. I counted five lost strokes on the front nine due to putts I should have made. Most of these were straight, uphill putts in the four to six foot range. With lots of golf still to be played, I knew the inevitable blowup holes would come. When they did, the early missed putts were all the more painful. It's a shame, because my putting has been pretty good all year. However, such is golf. Somehow, someway, the game finds a way to restore your average score. On this day, I blame my putting.
After a tip from my playing partner on hole #7, I began to hit a remarkable number of fairways. He mentioned that my practice swing was slower and smoother than my actual swing. Without even realizing it, I was trying to smash the ball on my actual shots – not surprisingly, with poor results. I turned to some mental trickery to remedy the situation. Just before I hit the ball, I began telling myself to “take another practice swing.” It wasn't a practice swing at all, but telling myself that it was slowed my swing speed just enough and greatly increased my accuracy. After the coaching session, I hit 8 of 10 fairways. Sweet!
Though I was hitting fairways, it did not translate into better scores. I still hit almost no greens. I actually liked my approach shots very much. Contact was crisp, flight path was straight, and distances were perfect. However, I was just missing left or right, usually on the safe side. I made a couple of pars and a couple of bogeys, depending on how well I chipped greenside. The problem is that when I made a bad shot, it was the kind that puts you in a terrible position and leads to a blowup score – triple-bogey or worse. I made a mess of hole #10 and hole #16 in particular.
In the end, there were a lot of positives to take away. However, I scored my typical, ugly score.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
I much prefer to walk a golf course, for various reasons. Due to a knee injury, I cannot perform any rigorous physical activities. Walking 18 holes is way for me to exercise, without putting excessive strain on my knee. I also enjoy the outdoors much more when I'm walking. I live in the city and spend enough time trapped in vehicles. Finally, I play better when I walk. I can focus on my own game, rather than my cart partner's game. I also play faster when I walk. I spend less time searching for balls, because I can walk directly to them. I can also walk directly from a green to the next teeing ground, instead of following a winding cart path.
Woodington Lake's mandatory cart policy is pointless – unless the point is to swindle its patrons. At $22.60 per player, the club has the most expensive cart fees I've seen anywhere. If it walks like a money grab and talks like a money grab – well, it's a money grab. I have no problem with clubs charging whatever they want for a round of golf. If you think you're a premium golf course, then go ahead and charge a premium green fee. But don't advertise a lower green fee, only to gouge patrons with a ridiculous fee for mandatory carts. You're not fooling anyone.
In fact, the club is only hurting itself. I sincerely hope Woodington Lake enjoys the $22.60 cart fee it collected from me on a recent visit. It will cost them hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in lost green fees for future rounds. I personally, will not go back until they change their policy. I have already recommended to the group I played with not to return. Finally, I will recommend the same to anyone who will listen. Browse the golf message boards or ask members of the GTA golfing community and you'll realize I'm not alone. Woodington Lake is alienating a lot of players – dedicated golfers who are not afraid to vocalize their displeasure.
With that nonsense out of the way, let me turn to a discussion of my performance. I started the round with a mix of good and bad shots. On hole #2, for example, I pulled a drive well left of the fairway. However, I saved par on the par-5 hole with a pair of good iron shots, followed by an excellent chip and putt. A weak drive on the next par-5, which is hole #4, didn't really hurt me. My second shot was an excellent 7-iron, leaving 140 yards to the green from the middle of the fairway. Unfortunately, I pulled my 9-iron slightly, catching a large hill that kicked the ball well left of the green. A 3-putt to finish resulted in a double-bogey.
In fact, putting let me down in the early stages of the round. I counted five lost strokes on the front nine due to putts I should have made. Most of these were straight, uphill putts in the four to six foot range. With lots of golf still to be played, I knew the inevitable blowup holes would come. When they did, the early missed putts were all the more painful. It's a shame, because my putting has been pretty good all year. However, such is golf. Somehow, someway, the game finds a way to restore your average score. On this day, I blame my putting.
After a tip from my playing partner on hole #7, I began to hit a remarkable number of fairways. He mentioned that my practice swing was slower and smoother than my actual swing. Without even realizing it, I was trying to smash the ball on my actual shots – not surprisingly, with poor results. I turned to some mental trickery to remedy the situation. Just before I hit the ball, I began telling myself to “take another practice swing.” It wasn't a practice swing at all, but telling myself that it was slowed my swing speed just enough and greatly increased my accuracy. After the coaching session, I hit 8 of 10 fairways. Sweet!
Though I was hitting fairways, it did not translate into better scores. I still hit almost no greens. I actually liked my approach shots very much. Contact was crisp, flight path was straight, and distances were perfect. However, I was just missing left or right, usually on the safe side. I made a couple of pars and a couple of bogeys, depending on how well I chipped greenside. The problem is that when I made a bad shot, it was the kind that puts you in a terrible position and leads to a blowup score – triple-bogey or worse. I made a mess of hole #10 and hole #16 in particular.
In the end, there were a lot of positives to take away. However, I scored my typical, ugly score.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
August 21, 2013
Like Old Times at Tyandaga
With a single round, my handicap factor zoomed up to 25.5 – an increase of almost a full point. My last official round of 2012, a decent performance at Tangle Creek Golf Club, just came off my scoring record and was replaced by one of my weaker outings this year. As a result, my handicap is back in territory that I haven't seen for seven years or more. It's depressing, to say the least.
I guess it's fitting that my handicap returned to that level after a visit to an old course for me. In my early golf days, I would get out to Tyandaga Golf Course at least a couple of times each year. In the past seven years, however, I've probably visited the Burlington area course once. As I became a better player, I gravitated toward longer courses. Shorter tracks like Tyandaga largely fell out of my rotation.
I wasn't planning to play, but the opportunity presented itself, so I went for it. Despite being a shorter course (5803 yards) with a modest rating/slope (67.5/114), Tyandaga stuck it to me, just like every other course I've played this year. It really is unbelievable. No matter what course I play, or what conditions I play in, I have an uncanny ability to shoot 103, plus or minus a stroke. If they built a golf course on the Bonneville Salt Flats, I think I would shoot 103.
I shot similar scores this year while feeling good about many shots. That wasn't the case this time around. Truth is, I just hacked the ball around the course. I've hit some amazing drives this year, but only hit two that I liked at Tyandaga. One was a slight fade on hole #12, a par-4. The other was a beastly laser on hole #14. That one took advantage of dry, hard conditions to travel 315 yards to the right fairway. I went on to bogey both of these holes.
Similarly, there were only a couple of iron shots that I recall being satisfied with. One was a punched 3-iron that I cut around some trees to the green front on hole #11. The other was a flush 7-iron over some trees to just off the back of the green on hole #16. Both of these shots came after a penalty stroke for losing a ball in a hazard. That tells you the real story, right there. I made double-bogey on #11 and bogey on #16.
Once again, I had bunker trouble near a couple of greens. On two occasions, I didn't exactly make highlight shots, but managed to get out safely. That's all I really ask for these days. On hole #4, however, I was back to my usual bunker play. I hit one attempt fat, then followed up by picking the ball clean and sending it 30 yards past the green. The only good area of my game was putting, but I still had a couple of 3-putts, thanks to some frayed nerves.
I don't know what else to say. The bottom line is that I'm really just a poor golfer.
Score: 104
Putts: 36
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
Penalties: 5
I guess it's fitting that my handicap returned to that level after a visit to an old course for me. In my early golf days, I would get out to Tyandaga Golf Course at least a couple of times each year. In the past seven years, however, I've probably visited the Burlington area course once. As I became a better player, I gravitated toward longer courses. Shorter tracks like Tyandaga largely fell out of my rotation.
I wasn't planning to play, but the opportunity presented itself, so I went for it. Despite being a shorter course (5803 yards) with a modest rating/slope (67.5/114), Tyandaga stuck it to me, just like every other course I've played this year. It really is unbelievable. No matter what course I play, or what conditions I play in, I have an uncanny ability to shoot 103, plus or minus a stroke. If they built a golf course on the Bonneville Salt Flats, I think I would shoot 103.
I shot similar scores this year while feeling good about many shots. That wasn't the case this time around. Truth is, I just hacked the ball around the course. I've hit some amazing drives this year, but only hit two that I liked at Tyandaga. One was a slight fade on hole #12, a par-4. The other was a beastly laser on hole #14. That one took advantage of dry, hard conditions to travel 315 yards to the right fairway. I went on to bogey both of these holes.
Similarly, there were only a couple of iron shots that I recall being satisfied with. One was a punched 3-iron that I cut around some trees to the green front on hole #11. The other was a flush 7-iron over some trees to just off the back of the green on hole #16. Both of these shots came after a penalty stroke for losing a ball in a hazard. That tells you the real story, right there. I made double-bogey on #11 and bogey on #16.
Once again, I had bunker trouble near a couple of greens. On two occasions, I didn't exactly make highlight shots, but managed to get out safely. That's all I really ask for these days. On hole #4, however, I was back to my usual bunker play. I hit one attempt fat, then followed up by picking the ball clean and sending it 30 yards past the green. The only good area of my game was putting, but I still had a couple of 3-putts, thanks to some frayed nerves.
I don't know what else to say. The bottom line is that I'm really just a poor golfer.
Score: 104
Putts: 36
Fairways: 2
Greens: 1
Penalties: 5
August 18, 2013
Same Old at Glen Eagle
I've travelled pretty far for golf this year, with rounds played in Paris, Niagara Falls, and even Gravenhurst. As a result, it was nice to play a little closer to home, at Glen Eagle Golf Club. I didn't play there last year, but shot a 99 the year before on the Original 18 layout. In 2010, I shot 92 on my lone visit, playing the Blue/Yellow nines.
Unfortunately the upward trend continued, as I finished with a score of 104, once again on the Blue/Yellow combination. My 52 on the Blue nine consisted of four bogeys, three doubles, and two triples. One of the triples came on the opening hole, thanks to a weak drive that popped up and right into a small pond. The other came on hole #4, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Right of the fairway after my drive, I failed to get over some trees between me and the green.
Holes #5 through #9 actually weren't that bad. My best drive on this stretch was a laser on hole #7, a 509-yard par-5. Unfortunately, I followed up with a horrific iron that I smothered and pulled left into a pond. Near the green, I made a nice up and down to salvage double-bogey. The only other disappointment on this stretch was a 3-putt on hole #9. Playing from above the hole, I left my first putt four feet short. You can figure out the rest.
The Yellow nine was pretty similar. I managed a couple of pars by reaching greens in regulation. On hole #3, I played a draw to the back of the green from 130 yards away. On hole #8, I hit a spectacular 5-iron to the green from the left rough. A tree trunk was interfering with my backswing and overhanging branches just ahead meant I had to keep the ball low. I should have had another par on hole #7, but 3-putt after reaching the green of this par-4 in two shots.
The problems on the Yellow nine really came at the start and finish. After pushing my drive well right on hole #1, I tried playing a 9-iron back to the fairway. I pulled it well left of target, sailing out of bounds. After a penalty stroke, I replayed the shot perfectly. I wish that had happened the first time. I also struggled near the green and ended up with a quadruple-bogey. I had the same result on hole #9. With a birdie on that hole, I would break 100, so I took a chance on my second shot. I was in the rough just left of the fairway, but the ball was above my feet and overhanging branches impeded my access to the green. I tried to play a draw, but shanked one right of the fairway, still 100 yards from the flag. My next three shots were all impeded by some obstacle, whether a tree in my backswing or a stance with my feet in a bunker.
My shot at 99 was gone, so it didn't really matter whether I finished with 100 or 104. Once again, I find myself in that brutal zone just above the century mark. More alarmingly, my handicap factor has now jumped to 24.6, exactly 9 points higher than my personal best. That is a tough pill to swallow.
Score: 104
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
Unfortunately the upward trend continued, as I finished with a score of 104, once again on the Blue/Yellow combination. My 52 on the Blue nine consisted of four bogeys, three doubles, and two triples. One of the triples came on the opening hole, thanks to a weak drive that popped up and right into a small pond. The other came on hole #4, a par-4 with a dogleg left. Right of the fairway after my drive, I failed to get over some trees between me and the green.
Holes #5 through #9 actually weren't that bad. My best drive on this stretch was a laser on hole #7, a 509-yard par-5. Unfortunately, I followed up with a horrific iron that I smothered and pulled left into a pond. Near the green, I made a nice up and down to salvage double-bogey. The only other disappointment on this stretch was a 3-putt on hole #9. Playing from above the hole, I left my first putt four feet short. You can figure out the rest.
The Yellow nine was pretty similar. I managed a couple of pars by reaching greens in regulation. On hole #3, I played a draw to the back of the green from 130 yards away. On hole #8, I hit a spectacular 5-iron to the green from the left rough. A tree trunk was interfering with my backswing and overhanging branches just ahead meant I had to keep the ball low. I should have had another par on hole #7, but 3-putt after reaching the green of this par-4 in two shots.
The problems on the Yellow nine really came at the start and finish. After pushing my drive well right on hole #1, I tried playing a 9-iron back to the fairway. I pulled it well left of target, sailing out of bounds. After a penalty stroke, I replayed the shot perfectly. I wish that had happened the first time. I also struggled near the green and ended up with a quadruple-bogey. I had the same result on hole #9. With a birdie on that hole, I would break 100, so I took a chance on my second shot. I was in the rough just left of the fairway, but the ball was above my feet and overhanging branches impeded my access to the green. I tried to play a draw, but shanked one right of the fairway, still 100 yards from the flag. My next three shots were all impeded by some obstacle, whether a tree in my backswing or a stance with my feet in a bunker.
My shot at 99 was gone, so it didn't really matter whether I finished with 100 or 104. Once again, I find myself in that brutal zone just above the century mark. More alarmingly, my handicap factor has now jumped to 24.6, exactly 9 points higher than my personal best. That is a tough pill to swallow.
Score: 104
Putts: 36
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
August 17, 2013
Half Full or Half Empty at Bradford
Well, my golf rounds are becoming very predictable this year. More specifically, my final scores are becoming very predictable. If I venture out to play, regardless of the course or its perceived difficulty, I can guarantee with startling accuracy that I will shoot a couple of strokes above 100. How I shoot those scores, however, is another matter altogether. For my latest round at The Highlands of Bradford, I chose the Jeckyll & Hyde route, scoring a brutal 61 on the front nine, followed by quite a good 44 on the back nine.
So, what should we make of that? Is the proverbial glass half empty, or is it half full? Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that I got off to a terrible start, ruining any chance of a good score after the very first hole. I didn't warm up at all and it showed immediately. I pull-hooked my first drive into the opposite fairway. I tried to hit a wedge over some small trees just to get back to the fairway and my club slid right under the ball. I ended up stymied behind one of the trees. My second pitch made it to the fairway, 90 yards from the pin. I slid another wedge under the ball, sending it just far enough to splash in a pond. After a penalty stroke, I did exactly the same thing again. My eighth stroke was just right of the green, while my ninth rolled off the other side. From the fringe, I 2-putt for a score of 11. Thanks for coming out. Your score will officially suck. Enjoy the next 17 holes.
I bogeyed the second hole, before blowing up again on the third. First tee shot was pulled ever so slightly out of bounds. Hitting three from the tee, I pushed another drive well right into a fescue-covered hazard. An approach, a chip, and two putts later, I racked up a quadruple-bogey. And so it continued for the rest of the front nine. I amassed nine penalties on the front nine alone. I hit wayward drives, though I piped a pair of beauties on holes #6 and #7. I hit wayward irons and wedges, though I also cracked some fine shots with the same clubs. A 4-iron into the green on hole #5 and a lovely drawing 52 degree wedge into the green on hole #6 come to mind. I made a complete mess of bunker shots, though I also executed some well. I guess you could say I had no consistency whatsoever.
The back nine was a completely different story. I began with a monster drive that ran through the end of the fairway on hole #10, a 367-yard par-4. My approach left a lot to be desired and I finished with bogey. I hit a beautiful 5-wood on my second shot on hole #11, a par-5. I have largely taken my fairway woods out of play, but they give me versatility and I want to get them back. This was a step in the right direction. Another 295-yard drive found the fairway on hole #12, a par-4 measuring 395 yards. With the wind at my back, a 60-degree wedge shot flew over the green, leading to bogey.
Straight, deep drives continued on holes #14 and #17. When the driver faltered, the fairway woods picked up the slack. On hole #18, I pulled my drive into fescue left of the fairway. With a poor lie, I did well to lay up in front of a creek that crosses the fairway. With 240 yards left to the green, I hit a delightful 3-wood. The ball finished flag-high in a bunker just left of the green. On the back nine, I also got up and down for par a number of times. On hole #15, a chip from just off the back of the green nestled to within 2 feet of the cup. On hole #17, it was completely different, with an approach from 100 yards landing just above the hole, followed by a breaking putt of about 10 feet. The only blemish on the back nine was my bunker play, which was still terrible. After reaching the greenside bunker on hole #18 (a par-5) in three shots, I hit the sand fat, failing to emerge. Next, I sculled one over the green. If not for that, I would have shot a very good 42 on the back nine.
Half full? Half empty? I still don't know.
Score: 105
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 9
So, what should we make of that? Is the proverbial glass half empty, or is it half full? Honestly, I don't know. All I know is that I got off to a terrible start, ruining any chance of a good score after the very first hole. I didn't warm up at all and it showed immediately. I pull-hooked my first drive into the opposite fairway. I tried to hit a wedge over some small trees just to get back to the fairway and my club slid right under the ball. I ended up stymied behind one of the trees. My second pitch made it to the fairway, 90 yards from the pin. I slid another wedge under the ball, sending it just far enough to splash in a pond. After a penalty stroke, I did exactly the same thing again. My eighth stroke was just right of the green, while my ninth rolled off the other side. From the fringe, I 2-putt for a score of 11. Thanks for coming out. Your score will officially suck. Enjoy the next 17 holes.
I bogeyed the second hole, before blowing up again on the third. First tee shot was pulled ever so slightly out of bounds. Hitting three from the tee, I pushed another drive well right into a fescue-covered hazard. An approach, a chip, and two putts later, I racked up a quadruple-bogey. And so it continued for the rest of the front nine. I amassed nine penalties on the front nine alone. I hit wayward drives, though I piped a pair of beauties on holes #6 and #7. I hit wayward irons and wedges, though I also cracked some fine shots with the same clubs. A 4-iron into the green on hole #5 and a lovely drawing 52 degree wedge into the green on hole #6 come to mind. I made a complete mess of bunker shots, though I also executed some well. I guess you could say I had no consistency whatsoever.
The back nine was a completely different story. I began with a monster drive that ran through the end of the fairway on hole #10, a 367-yard par-4. My approach left a lot to be desired and I finished with bogey. I hit a beautiful 5-wood on my second shot on hole #11, a par-5. I have largely taken my fairway woods out of play, but they give me versatility and I want to get them back. This was a step in the right direction. Another 295-yard drive found the fairway on hole #12, a par-4 measuring 395 yards. With the wind at my back, a 60-degree wedge shot flew over the green, leading to bogey.
Straight, deep drives continued on holes #14 and #17. When the driver faltered, the fairway woods picked up the slack. On hole #18, I pulled my drive into fescue left of the fairway. With a poor lie, I did well to lay up in front of a creek that crosses the fairway. With 240 yards left to the green, I hit a delightful 3-wood. The ball finished flag-high in a bunker just left of the green. On the back nine, I also got up and down for par a number of times. On hole #15, a chip from just off the back of the green nestled to within 2 feet of the cup. On hole #17, it was completely different, with an approach from 100 yards landing just above the hole, followed by a breaking putt of about 10 feet. The only blemish on the back nine was my bunker play, which was still terrible. After reaching the greenside bunker on hole #18 (a par-5) in three shots, I hit the sand fat, failing to emerge. Next, I sculled one over the green. If not for that, I would have shot a very good 42 on the back nine.
Half full? Half empty? I still don't know.
Score: 105
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 9
August 09, 2013
First Visit to Muskoka Bay Club
Muskoka Bay Club, a Doug Carrick design located in Gravenhurst, Ontario, has received its share of accolades – not the least of which is its ranking, over each of the last four years, as the 9th best golf course in Canada by ScoreGolf magazine. In a recent ranking of public courses only by the same magazine, Muskoka Bay came in at number 1 in Ontario and number 6 nationally. With a pedigree like that, I was certainly looking forward to my first visit to the club.
I decided to play the blue tees, which measure in at 6352 yards, with a rating/slope of 71.6/137. That is the highest slope of any course I've played this year, though I've certainly played courses of similar difficulty in the past. Most of the difficulty arises from forced carries off the tee. From the blues, none of these are exceptionally long, extending no more than 210 yards. What makes them challenging is the visual intimidation factor. Granite outcroppings narrow sightlines or loom near landing zones. Having said that, the landing zones themselves are generally fair in size.
I striped a beautiful drive on hole #1, which features one of the carries I just described. I pulled my second shot with the pitching wedge 30 yards left of the green. Pitching from well above the green to a surface that fell away from me, I limped in with a double-bogey. Still, I was very proud of the way I dealt with the first tee shot.
Confidence grew over the next two holes, which produced a pair of pars. The first of these came on a 147-yard par-3. I nailed the back of the green with an 8-iron, then finished with two putts. The second came on a par-4 measuring 393 yards. I hit the left centre of the fairway with driver, but the slope kicked the ball further left, about a yard into the rough. From that position, large granite outcroppings completely obscured my view of the green. Accounting for a healthy rise, I hit a 7-iron from 150 yards. The ball sailed over the granite and came to rest on the putting surface, within birdie range. It was one of the best shots of the day.
My tee shot on hole #4 found a large bunker right of the fairway. Accounting for a significant rise into the green, along with a back left pin position, I opted for the gap wedge. The ball was headed straight at the flag, but landed just a yard short and rolled back down a steep bunker face. Bunker shots have been my nemesis in recent years, with the odd exception, but there was no exception this time. My first attempt was fat and stayed in the bunker. My next attempt got out, but squirted to the right and across the whole green. I chipped on and 2-putt for a triple bogey. It really goes to show how golf is a game of inches. If my approach shot carries one more yard, I'm right beside the flag and walk away with no worse than par. As it was, I tacked on three additional strokes.
I played pretty well for the rest of the front nine. Holes #5 and #8, both of which are par-5 holes, were especially good. In both cases, I nailed the fairway with driver, then advanced the ball with pitching wedge on the second shot. I had the option of hitting 3-wood to get on or close to the greens in two, but everything would have to be perfect for that to work. It's an extremely low percentage shot and the penalty for missing would be too severe. I made the right call by playing conservatively and earned a bogey and another par.
Hole #9, a 369-yard par-4 known as “The Narrows” is the one pictured above. Many people think it's an unfair hole, as huge slabs of granite pinch the fairway leading up to the green down to a mere sliver. All of this after a forced carry of 200 yards off the tee. I piped one just right of the fairway centre, leaving 140 yards to the flag. Now the pressure was on. As long as one carries the rock on the approach, there actually is some room to work with. I succumbed to the visual intimidation and pulled one left into the granite and trees. After a penalty stroke, my next attempt was fine, finishing flag-high, a couple yards left of the green. The first miss was costly, resulting in a triple-bogey. Still, it was a fun hole.
Shooting 51 at the turn, I felt like the course was not pushing me around. With one exception (a ball hit off the heel on tee #7) I was driving the ball well. My irons were also remarkably straight. In fact, I hit many quality shots. Sure, I had some trouble with bunker shots and imprecise pitches, but my putting was good. With continued good play and some luck, I felt like I could break 100.
On the back nine, penalty strokes began adding up. I pulled my drive ever so slightly on hole #10 and hole #13. On the first of these, the area was staked red, so I was able to take a penalty and drop within two club lengths. No such luck on the second, as fescue and other vegetation produced a lost ball. Hitting three from the tee, I nailed the fairway centre, but the damage had already been done.
I struggled terribly in a greenside bunker on hole #11, a 147-yard par-3. I inadvertently picked the ball clean, flying way over the green into a hazard. I made a miraculous out from a terrible lie and had a makeable putt for bogey, but the green was slippery and I overshot it. In fact, I missed the comebacker and earned a triple. An errant 3-iron from the fairway started a chain of terrible events on hole #15. After taking a penalty, I flopped an approach into a bunker. Once again, I caught the ball thin and sailed past the green into a hazard. This time, I couldn't find the ball, so it was another penalty stroke. I finished with a score of 9 on the par-4 hole. Ouch!
Still, there were many good moments, even on the back nine. I saved a description of the best for last. Hole #12 is a par-5 measuring 524 yards. I cut the hole in half with my tee shot, a 270-yard drive to the middle of the fairway. A large pond left of the fairway comes into play on the second shot. Wanting no part of it, I hit a 5-iron 180 yards to the very right of the fairway. Great shot! Playing into an elevated green, I hit sand wedge, leaving the ball five feet below the hole. I proceeded to drain the putt for birdie! The picture above shows the hole from the green, looking back toward the fairway. Beautiful.
In the end, I shot 107. Though the score seems to suggest otherwise, I actually played quite well. I've had many scores in the low and mid 90's where I didn't hit as many quality shots as I did on this occasion. Golf is strange that way.
Score: 107
Putts: 34
Fairways: 8
Greens: 5
Penalties: 8
August 07, 2013
Whirlwind at Whirlpool
My last visit to Whirlpool Golf Course, designed by Stanley Thompson and located on the Niagara Gorge, was in September, 2008. It's an enjoyable layout and a course of which I have fond memories. As a result, I was looking forward to the outing. Then again, I look forward to every golf outing. However, I'm a sucker for nostalgia and I have a distinct soft spot in my heart for courses that I haven't visited in a few years.
Starting as a single, I was sent out alone by the starter, who advised me to join up with a twosome ahead. As it turned out, I played alone for most of the round, with various groups allowing me to play through. More on that later. My opening drive drifted right of the fairway into some trees. It took two shots to punch back to the fairway. Lately, I've had trouble punching out from below trees. My approach from 100 yards was just short of the green, so I chipped to about five feet. Of course, I missed the putt and took a triple-bogey. If that putt was for par, I bet I would have made it. However, the cruelty of golf dictates that since it was for double-bogey, I would miss.
I played bogey golf for the rest of the front nine, shooting 48 at the turn. A twosome waved me onto the second green as they were set to putt. From the middle of the fairway, I came up short into a front bunker. I splashed out nicely and 2-putt for bogey. The twosome suggested I play ahead on the next hole, which I did. A+ to the young men for immediately allowing me through. I hit an iron short of the green on the par-3, then chipped on and 2-putt for bogey.
As I arrived at hole #4, a foursome was packing up their clubs, having just finished their tee shots. I expected them to wave me through, but nothing. I stood on the tee for a long time as they looked for their wayward tee shots. When they finally moved ahead, I striped one down the middle of the fairway. It was another long wait for my second and third shots on this par-5 hole. As a result, I hit both of those shots fat. My fourth shot settled just behind the green, so I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Approaching the foursome on the next tee, I politely asked if they would let me through. They agreed, but stated that I wouldn't really get anywhere as there was a group right ahead of them. I hit my tee shot well right of the fairway, but followed with a beautiful 9-iron over some very tall trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot on this par-5 was straight, but just short of the green. I chipped reasonably close, but 2-putt for bogey. Contrary to what the foursome told me, the entire hole was open. For that reason, and since they should have let me through on the previous hole without me having to ask, the young men earned a grade of C.
In fact, I only encountered the next group, a threesome, on hole #6. As I approached the teeing ground on this par-3, they were walking off the green. I hit a very nice 7-iron flag-high to the front of the green. A routine 2-putt earned my first par of the day. The threesome had just finished teeing off on hole #7, but they waited a few seconds to allow me through. A+ to the two men and their lady friend for extending the courtesy immediately. The lady even complimented me on my second shot, a low punch from 200 yards that had to skirt the trees on the right side. I didn't make the green, but pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
I caught the next group, a man and a woman, on hole #9. I striped a 3-iron off the tee on this short par-4, then waited while they cleared the green. My approach was just right of the putting surface, so I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On the next tee, the couple offered to let me through, though they warned me that another couple was immediately ahead. I thanked them and said I would take my chances. For their consideration, they earned a grade of A.
At 450 yards from the blue tees, hole #10 is a long par-4. I hit the left side of the fairway, but was not deep at all, leaving 250 yards to the green. I hit a 3-iron, expecting to leave about a 50-yard pitch to the green. Instead, I pulled the shot ever so slightly, catching the cart path, which propelled the ball just left of the green, flag-high. In fact, my ball finished ahead of the twosome in front, who were both about 10 yards short of the green. I apologized for shooting past them, explaining that the cart path was largely responsible. They said it was no problem and invited me to chip on the green. Unfortunately, I made a bad chip and a couple of bad putts to finish with a double-bogey. I think I was a little flustered and rushed a bit.
On the next tee, the couple invited me to play ahead, though they warned me that the threesome ahead was playing like turtles. As I did with the previous couple, I thanked them and said I would take my chances. For their kindness, this couple also earned a grade of A. Unfortunately, I hit my first really bad drive of the day, pulling one off the heel of the club. I hit a nice recovery 9-iron over a tree, but my third shot into the green was a bit short. I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
When I pulled up to hole #12, the three turtles were still teeing off. I fully expected them to have me join or let me through. No such luck, as they drove ahead without saying a word. After a long wait on this par-3, I hit a 4-iron left of the green. After a beautiful pitch, I tapped in for my second par of the day. Things unravelled on hole #13, a par-5. My tee shot was amongst some trees right of the fairway. Again, I had trouble punching back to the fairway. It seems unbelievable that I could smack narrow tree trunks in that situation, but I did repeatedly, finishing with a triple-bogey.
Since the turtle trio did not let me through without prompting, I resolved to ask them politely on the next hole. They were getting in their cart a few paces ahead when I said, “Gentlemen, do you mind if I play through?” Either they were all deaf, or they acted like they didn't hear me. They simply drove ahead on the par-3 hole. After another wait for them to clear the green, I hit a nice 7-iron short of the green. I chipped on reasonably close, but had to 2-putt for a bogey.
Now on hole #15, a par-5, I made sure the three men ahead could not ignore me. I waited for them to finish teeing off, then made sure they were facing me and said once again, “Gentlemen, do you mind if I play through?” Judging by their response, they were obviously not gentlemen. They made it clear that they were not going to let me through, as I would then be holding them up. Really? A single is going to hold up a threesome? You have it backwards, my friends. After explaining as much, I told them to have a nice day. At that point, I dropped back with the last couple that let me through and we played the rest of the round together. For their rudeness and stupidity, the turtles get a failing grade of E or F, depending what system you use.
Now, aside from one or two blips, I had a decent round going. I hit a decent number of fairways with the driver, but my irons were much improved. I caught a couple fat, but everything was straight. The adjustment I made at Twenty Valley was working like a charm. It's a different address, slightly more open, and a different swing path. It also lends itself to a higher finish. The result was straighter and higher shots. I had also played 14 holes without a penalty stroke, which was fantastic. Unfortunately, I took 3 penalties – all on hole #15. Two of those were for balls in a hazard. The final one was for an unplayable ball. I ended up with a disastrous score of 10.
That pretty much ruined the round. I made par on hole #17, a 200-yard par-3, and struggled to a triple-bogey on hole #18, a par-5. Looking back at my scorecard revealed some great contrasts. I had three pars and two bogeys on the par-3 holes, but amassed one bogey, one double, two triples and a quintuple-bogey (sheesh!) on the par-5 holes. In the end, I found another way to shoot 102. It's bizarre. I can absolutely hack it around for that score any day, but on days where I make lots of great shots, I still end up at the same score.
Score: 102
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Starting as a single, I was sent out alone by the starter, who advised me to join up with a twosome ahead. As it turned out, I played alone for most of the round, with various groups allowing me to play through. More on that later. My opening drive drifted right of the fairway into some trees. It took two shots to punch back to the fairway. Lately, I've had trouble punching out from below trees. My approach from 100 yards was just short of the green, so I chipped to about five feet. Of course, I missed the putt and took a triple-bogey. If that putt was for par, I bet I would have made it. However, the cruelty of golf dictates that since it was for double-bogey, I would miss.
I played bogey golf for the rest of the front nine, shooting 48 at the turn. A twosome waved me onto the second green as they were set to putt. From the middle of the fairway, I came up short into a front bunker. I splashed out nicely and 2-putt for bogey. The twosome suggested I play ahead on the next hole, which I did. A+ to the young men for immediately allowing me through. I hit an iron short of the green on the par-3, then chipped on and 2-putt for bogey.
As I arrived at hole #4, a foursome was packing up their clubs, having just finished their tee shots. I expected them to wave me through, but nothing. I stood on the tee for a long time as they looked for their wayward tee shots. When they finally moved ahead, I striped one down the middle of the fairway. It was another long wait for my second and third shots on this par-5 hole. As a result, I hit both of those shots fat. My fourth shot settled just behind the green, so I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Approaching the foursome on the next tee, I politely asked if they would let me through. They agreed, but stated that I wouldn't really get anywhere as there was a group right ahead of them. I hit my tee shot well right of the fairway, but followed with a beautiful 9-iron over some very tall trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot on this par-5 was straight, but just short of the green. I chipped reasonably close, but 2-putt for bogey. Contrary to what the foursome told me, the entire hole was open. For that reason, and since they should have let me through on the previous hole without me having to ask, the young men earned a grade of C.
In fact, I only encountered the next group, a threesome, on hole #6. As I approached the teeing ground on this par-3, they were walking off the green. I hit a very nice 7-iron flag-high to the front of the green. A routine 2-putt earned my first par of the day. The threesome had just finished teeing off on hole #7, but they waited a few seconds to allow me through. A+ to the two men and their lady friend for extending the courtesy immediately. The lady even complimented me on my second shot, a low punch from 200 yards that had to skirt the trees on the right side. I didn't make the green, but pitched on and 2-putt for bogey.
I caught the next group, a man and a woman, on hole #9. I striped a 3-iron off the tee on this short par-4, then waited while they cleared the green. My approach was just right of the putting surface, so I chipped on and 2-putt for bogey. On the next tee, the couple offered to let me through, though they warned me that another couple was immediately ahead. I thanked them and said I would take my chances. For their consideration, they earned a grade of A.
At 450 yards from the blue tees, hole #10 is a long par-4. I hit the left side of the fairway, but was not deep at all, leaving 250 yards to the green. I hit a 3-iron, expecting to leave about a 50-yard pitch to the green. Instead, I pulled the shot ever so slightly, catching the cart path, which propelled the ball just left of the green, flag-high. In fact, my ball finished ahead of the twosome in front, who were both about 10 yards short of the green. I apologized for shooting past them, explaining that the cart path was largely responsible. They said it was no problem and invited me to chip on the green. Unfortunately, I made a bad chip and a couple of bad putts to finish with a double-bogey. I think I was a little flustered and rushed a bit.
On the next tee, the couple invited me to play ahead, though they warned me that the threesome ahead was playing like turtles. As I did with the previous couple, I thanked them and said I would take my chances. For their kindness, this couple also earned a grade of A. Unfortunately, I hit my first really bad drive of the day, pulling one off the heel of the club. I hit a nice recovery 9-iron over a tree, but my third shot into the green was a bit short. I chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
When I pulled up to hole #12, the three turtles were still teeing off. I fully expected them to have me join or let me through. No such luck, as they drove ahead without saying a word. After a long wait on this par-3, I hit a 4-iron left of the green. After a beautiful pitch, I tapped in for my second par of the day. Things unravelled on hole #13, a par-5. My tee shot was amongst some trees right of the fairway. Again, I had trouble punching back to the fairway. It seems unbelievable that I could smack narrow tree trunks in that situation, but I did repeatedly, finishing with a triple-bogey.
Since the turtle trio did not let me through without prompting, I resolved to ask them politely on the next hole. They were getting in their cart a few paces ahead when I said, “Gentlemen, do you mind if I play through?” Either they were all deaf, or they acted like they didn't hear me. They simply drove ahead on the par-3 hole. After another wait for them to clear the green, I hit a nice 7-iron short of the green. I chipped on reasonably close, but had to 2-putt for a bogey.
Now on hole #15, a par-5, I made sure the three men ahead could not ignore me. I waited for them to finish teeing off, then made sure they were facing me and said once again, “Gentlemen, do you mind if I play through?” Judging by their response, they were obviously not gentlemen. They made it clear that they were not going to let me through, as I would then be holding them up. Really? A single is going to hold up a threesome? You have it backwards, my friends. After explaining as much, I told them to have a nice day. At that point, I dropped back with the last couple that let me through and we played the rest of the round together. For their rudeness and stupidity, the turtles get a failing grade of E or F, depending what system you use.
Now, aside from one or two blips, I had a decent round going. I hit a decent number of fairways with the driver, but my irons were much improved. I caught a couple fat, but everything was straight. The adjustment I made at Twenty Valley was working like a charm. It's a different address, slightly more open, and a different swing path. It also lends itself to a higher finish. The result was straighter and higher shots. I had also played 14 holes without a penalty stroke, which was fantastic. Unfortunately, I took 3 penalties – all on hole #15. Two of those were for balls in a hazard. The final one was for an unplayable ball. I ended up with a disastrous score of 10.
That pretty much ruined the round. I made par on hole #17, a 200-yard par-3, and struggled to a triple-bogey on hole #18, a par-5. Looking back at my scorecard revealed some great contrasts. I had three pars and two bogeys on the par-3 holes, but amassed one bogey, one double, two triples and a quintuple-bogey (sheesh!) on the par-5 holes. In the end, I found another way to shoot 102. It's bizarre. I can absolutely hack it around for that score any day, but on days where I make lots of great shots, I still end up at the same score.
Score: 102
Putts: 34
Fairways: 5
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
August 01, 2013
Roller Coaster Continues at Twenty Valley
Over the last few rounds, I felt like I gave away strokes with my short game. Chipping from very near the green, I would make shots that weren't terrible, but which didn't give me very reasonable chances to 1-putt. This was overshadowed by more obvious wasted shots, such as complete duffs or those that would find their way into hazards. At the end of the day, however, strokes are strokes – it doesn't matter whether they result from an occasional duff or from a series of mediocre chips. Realizing that I had become content to chip and 2-putt, I resolved to pay more attention to my play near the greens. My goal was to try to get up and down every time I found myself in that situation.
Playing at Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club, I'm happy to say that I definitely improved on that front. I managed to get up and down six times over the course of the round. That represented about a 50 percent success rate. Some of those were not easy, either. One was from a greenside bunker, with very little green to work with. Another was across the entire length of a large, undulating green. Yet another was a delicate downhill affair. The chipping helped my putting numbers quite a bit, as I finished with 31 putts in total. The key for me was rhythm. I have a little count that I do to improve my putting rhythm. I applied the same count to my chipping stroke and I found that everything felt more fluid and relaxed.
It's a good thing my short game improved, because my play off the tee took a big nosedive. Contact with the ball was mostly fine, but I had trouble keeping the ball straight. In fact, I didn't hit a single fairway all day. Most of my misses started on line but faded to the right. However, I also pulled a couple left of target – something that hasn't happened for a while. I actually hit a couple of straight drives, but they ran through the ends of fairways on dogleg holes. On most occasions, I was fine simply hitting out of the rough. However, there were a few times where I found myself in water or among the trees. I had a lot of trouble punching out. Incredibly, I always seemed to smack a narrow tree trunk. It often sounded like I was chopping wood out there!
Over the last half of the round, I made an adjustment that helped me straighten out my mid-to-high irons. I had been hooking those with alarming regularity. In fact, one of those hooks led to a triple-bogey on hole #7, a medium length par-3. The adjustment involved opening my stance ever so slightly, so that my feet and shoulders were pointed a degree or so left of my target. At the same time, I kept the face of the club square to the target. Relative to my body position, this means the club face was slightly more open than it had been before. I did this on a couple of occasions, with good results. Let's hope it serves me well moving forward.
I made a lot of solid bogeys during this round, but only one par. That came on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. I hit the right edge of the green with a 3-iron, but the flag was way over on the other side. After a beautiful lag putt, I tapped in easily. I can't count it as an up-and-down, but it was very similar. It would have been very easy to 3-putt from that far away. Unfortunately, the rest of my round included the blowup holes that plague my game. I can play decent golf for about a dozen holes, but I simply can't string 18 holes together without a few disasters along the way.
By the way, the shot of the day was a lengthy, breaking downhill putt on hole #18. I drained it after a nice 9-iron approach from 140 yards. Sometimes (not often enough) the game is so sweet!
Score: 102
Putts: 31
Fairways: 0
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
Playing at Twenty Valley Golf & Country Club, I'm happy to say that I definitely improved on that front. I managed to get up and down six times over the course of the round. That represented about a 50 percent success rate. Some of those were not easy, either. One was from a greenside bunker, with very little green to work with. Another was across the entire length of a large, undulating green. Yet another was a delicate downhill affair. The chipping helped my putting numbers quite a bit, as I finished with 31 putts in total. The key for me was rhythm. I have a little count that I do to improve my putting rhythm. I applied the same count to my chipping stroke and I found that everything felt more fluid and relaxed.
It's a good thing my short game improved, because my play off the tee took a big nosedive. Contact with the ball was mostly fine, but I had trouble keeping the ball straight. In fact, I didn't hit a single fairway all day. Most of my misses started on line but faded to the right. However, I also pulled a couple left of target – something that hasn't happened for a while. I actually hit a couple of straight drives, but they ran through the ends of fairways on dogleg holes. On most occasions, I was fine simply hitting out of the rough. However, there were a few times where I found myself in water or among the trees. I had a lot of trouble punching out. Incredibly, I always seemed to smack a narrow tree trunk. It often sounded like I was chopping wood out there!
Over the last half of the round, I made an adjustment that helped me straighten out my mid-to-high irons. I had been hooking those with alarming regularity. In fact, one of those hooks led to a triple-bogey on hole #7, a medium length par-3. The adjustment involved opening my stance ever so slightly, so that my feet and shoulders were pointed a degree or so left of my target. At the same time, I kept the face of the club square to the target. Relative to my body position, this means the club face was slightly more open than it had been before. I did this on a couple of occasions, with good results. Let's hope it serves me well moving forward.
I made a lot of solid bogeys during this round, but only one par. That came on hole #16, a 200-yard par-3. I hit the right edge of the green with a 3-iron, but the flag was way over on the other side. After a beautiful lag putt, I tapped in easily. I can't count it as an up-and-down, but it was very similar. It would have been very easy to 3-putt from that far away. Unfortunately, the rest of my round included the blowup holes that plague my game. I can play decent golf for about a dozen holes, but I simply can't string 18 holes together without a few disasters along the way.
By the way, the shot of the day was a lengthy, breaking downhill putt on hole #18. I drained it after a nice 9-iron approach from 140 yards. Sometimes (not often enough) the game is so sweet!
Score: 102
Putts: 31
Fairways: 0
Greens: 2
Penalties: 7
Not Very Grand in Paris
My latest round of golf was played at Paris Grand Golf Club, located on the banks of the Grand River, in Paris, Ontario. It was my first ever visit to the club and I was not disappointed. Though the pro shop and on-course staff lacked some organization, the course itself was a real treat. The terrain features significant elevation changes, resulting in a variety of hole styles – many play downhill, while others play uphill or flat.
The par-4 holes differ greatly in length, adding further variety. Long holes require driver off the tee, while medium and shorter holes allow more options. Irons are the conservative choice on shorter holes, while woods or the driver offer an intriguing combination of risk and reward. Mature trees and fescue covered areas further define the holes, but nothing here is tricked up.
The front nine ends with a pair of challenging par-5 holes that feature intimidating carries over a large ravine. The back nine shows its teeth on back-to-back holes flanking the Grand River. Conditioning was great when I played, with nicely manicured fairways and very puttable greens. Overall, I would say this is one of the nicer courses in its price range.
I began with a couple of mediocre shots, but recovered for bogey, thanks to an excellent 8-iron into the green on the opening par-5. I was 5 over par through the first five holes – a good pace for me. I double-bogeyed a short par-3, owing to a hooked 9-iron off the tee. Fortunately, I made par on the very next hole, splitting the fairway before getting up and down from a greenside bunker. Still, there were some very makeable putts that I missed. The double bogey could have been a stroke better, but I burned the lip of the cup from six feet away. Two bogeys could have been pars, if not for similar edge burners.
Hole #6, a 152-yard par-3, resulted in triple-bogey. I hooked an 8-iron into a lateral hazard. After taking a drop, I fluffed an 80-yard approach, leaving more than half that distance to the green. When I finally got on the putting surface, it took two putts to hole out. All of this resulted from an inability to straighten out my mid-to-high irons, which have had a tendency to hook strongly recently.
After that setback, I settled back into a pretty good groove. I was 14 over par through 11 holes – the triple on #6 being the only real blemish on my scorecard. I handled the intimidating ravine on holes #8 and #9 with no problem whatsoever. My drive on #8 carried the necessary 245 yards to clear the junk, while my second shot on hole #9 was a very impressive 5-wood. I took a stab at driving the green on hole #10, a 295-yard par-4. I came up ten yards short of the green, but chipped and two putt for par. Still, here was another situation where I lost a stroke thanks to a slight miss on a makeable birdie putt. I had a feeling those missed putts would come back to haunt me.
And haunt me they did, because beginning with hole #12, I played four terrible holes in a row. A long forced carry on hole #12 didn't faze me, but thick trees lining the entire right side did. I took two penalties en route to a quadruple-bogey. My 3-iron off the tee on hole #13 was going to take a dip in the Grand River, but a lone tree grabbed hold of it and swatted it back toward the fairway. I could not take advantage of the good luck, as I hooked a mid-iron into a patch of thick fescue. The final result was a double bogey. Frustration mounted, as I made triple-bogey on hole #14 (a par-3) and quadruple-bogey on hole #15 (a par-5). Over four holes, I amassed six penalty strokes.
I settled back into bogey mode over the last three holes, but the damage was done. I finished with a score of 103, which seems to be my new comfort zone. One way or another, I always end up just over the century mark. I made a lot of good plays at Paris Grand, but it seems I just can't keep it together for 18 holes.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 8
The par-4 holes differ greatly in length, adding further variety. Long holes require driver off the tee, while medium and shorter holes allow more options. Irons are the conservative choice on shorter holes, while woods or the driver offer an intriguing combination of risk and reward. Mature trees and fescue covered areas further define the holes, but nothing here is tricked up.
The front nine ends with a pair of challenging par-5 holes that feature intimidating carries over a large ravine. The back nine shows its teeth on back-to-back holes flanking the Grand River. Conditioning was great when I played, with nicely manicured fairways and very puttable greens. Overall, I would say this is one of the nicer courses in its price range.
I began with a couple of mediocre shots, but recovered for bogey, thanks to an excellent 8-iron into the green on the opening par-5. I was 5 over par through the first five holes – a good pace for me. I double-bogeyed a short par-3, owing to a hooked 9-iron off the tee. Fortunately, I made par on the very next hole, splitting the fairway before getting up and down from a greenside bunker. Still, there were some very makeable putts that I missed. The double bogey could have been a stroke better, but I burned the lip of the cup from six feet away. Two bogeys could have been pars, if not for similar edge burners.
Hole #6, a 152-yard par-3, resulted in triple-bogey. I hooked an 8-iron into a lateral hazard. After taking a drop, I fluffed an 80-yard approach, leaving more than half that distance to the green. When I finally got on the putting surface, it took two putts to hole out. All of this resulted from an inability to straighten out my mid-to-high irons, which have had a tendency to hook strongly recently.
After that setback, I settled back into a pretty good groove. I was 14 over par through 11 holes – the triple on #6 being the only real blemish on my scorecard. I handled the intimidating ravine on holes #8 and #9 with no problem whatsoever. My drive on #8 carried the necessary 245 yards to clear the junk, while my second shot on hole #9 was a very impressive 5-wood. I took a stab at driving the green on hole #10, a 295-yard par-4. I came up ten yards short of the green, but chipped and two putt for par. Still, here was another situation where I lost a stroke thanks to a slight miss on a makeable birdie putt. I had a feeling those missed putts would come back to haunt me.
And haunt me they did, because beginning with hole #12, I played four terrible holes in a row. A long forced carry on hole #12 didn't faze me, but thick trees lining the entire right side did. I took two penalties en route to a quadruple-bogey. My 3-iron off the tee on hole #13 was going to take a dip in the Grand River, but a lone tree grabbed hold of it and swatted it back toward the fairway. I could not take advantage of the good luck, as I hooked a mid-iron into a patch of thick fescue. The final result was a double bogey. Frustration mounted, as I made triple-bogey on hole #14 (a par-3) and quadruple-bogey on hole #15 (a par-5). Over four holes, I amassed six penalty strokes.
I settled back into bogey mode over the last three holes, but the damage was done. I finished with a score of 103, which seems to be my new comfort zone. One way or another, I always end up just over the century mark. I made a lot of good plays at Paris Grand, but it seems I just can't keep it together for 18 holes.
Score: 103
Putts: 37
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 8
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