Round 2 of the Deepwoods championship took place at Peninsula Lakes Golf Club last Sunday. I arrived more than two hours before the first tee time, as I had volunteered to check-in players and help with any issues that might arise. Ironically, I didn't even have time to practice on the range, as a last-minute scheduling change bumped my foursome up by about 50 minutes. I quickly hit a half dozen balls and rushed to the tee. Worst of all, I didn't get to take a single putt or chip.
My first ball was in the water, but I followed up with a surprisingly good 5-iron to reach the par-4 opening hole in three strokes. With two putts, I managed to save a bogey. I hit the green in regulation on hole #2, a par-3. Facing a long putt, I had no sense of the green speeds. Of course, I 3-putt for another bogey. The short game imploded on the next hole, a par-4 with a sharp dogleg to the left. I was just off the back edge of the green after my first two shots. My first chip of the day was miserable, barely getting on the green. From there, I needed 4 putts to hole out, including two misses from less than 2 feet!
Now, I have been struggling with my golf game for a long time. On any given day, my shots could be doing a number of things. I could be slicing drives one moment, and pulling or hooking them the next. I could be hitting irons fat, then suddenly catching them thin. I could be chipping and putting well for a bit of a stretch, followed by another where the short game disappears. It is what it is, but the last thing I need is to enter a competition without taking a single chip or putt beforehand, especially when I arrive at the course 3 hours before my scheduled tee time!
On hole #4, a drive that wasn't terrible managed to settle under a spruce tree. The ball was unplayable. After a penalty stroke, an 8-iron that wasn't terrible managed to settle – you guessed it – under a spruce tree. I did manage to hack that one out to the green, finishing with a double bogey. Something similar happened on hole #8, the second of two back-to-back par-5 holes. My drive drifted right and luck was once again not on my side. With branches severely impeding my backswing, I advanced the ball a whole 4 yards! The end result was another double-bogey.
Worse than bad luck is when good decisions go unrewarded. On hole #6, a long par-3, I duffed my tee shot into a pond. The ball entered the hazard, but did not actually make it to the water. Unfortunately, it was in a rut that made playing it very tricky. The wise thing to do was to declare the ball unplayable and just take the penalty. That's exactly what I did. I dropped behind the hazard, keeping the point where the ball last crossed the margin between me and the hole. Then I absolutely butchered a 60-yard pitch attempt from a nice, flat lie, failing to get anywhere near the green. Good decision making is of little use when you can't execute the subsequent shot. I finished the hole with a quadruple bogey.
I could go on, but what's the point? I made the turn with a score of 54. I played the back nine even worse, piling up another 61 strokes. For goodness sake, I amassed 12 strokes on the tenth hole alone, a puny 290-yard par-4. I topped a 5-wood off the tee. I shanked a 9-iron out of bounds. I almost went out of bounds again after taking a penalty. I hit another spruce tree trying to get back to the fairway, where my ball ended up unplayable. Geez!
I hit only one fairway the entire round. It came on Hillside #4, which is the toughest on the course. A slight mis-hit on my approach to the green came up short. I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but a duffed pitch attempt bumped that up to a double. I salvaged two consecutive pars near the end of the round, but even those were ugly. The first came after a terrible drive to an opposite fairway. It was a miracle that my second shot, with the 5-wood, cleared a group of trees and rolled down a hill back to the fairway.
Whatever. It's been 10 years since I started playing this game and this is the type of result I had in the first few games I ever played. #@&*!
Score: 115
Putts: 40
Fairways: 1
Greens: 1
Penalties: 7
June 25, 2014
June 23, 2014
Sneaking One In at King's Forest
The weather “experts” were predicting doom and gloom, what with their severe weather alerts and “worst storm ever” hyperbole. A look outside my window, however, revealed cloudy skies, but no rain. It had been two weeks since I last played, so I booked a last minute round at King's Forest Golf Club in Hamilton and hoped for the best. Except for some stiff wind at times, conditions were ideal. Temperature was warm, the skies were partly cloudy, and not a single drop of water fell while I was on the course.
On the opening par-4, my drive sailed right of the fairway. With access to the green blocked by a cluster of trees, I tried laying up about 30 yards in front of the green. Instead of travelling 130 yards, my pitching wedge went 160 yards, right into a creek. It was a pattern that would repeat itself many times over the course of the round. Every time I tried to punch out of trouble or pitch back to safety, my ball would bound across the entire fairway, finding more trouble on the other side. On the opening hole, it cost me a double-bogey.
On the second hole, another par-4, I found myself deep in the trees right of the fairway. My first punch attempt smacked a tree trunk and came backwards. My second attempt clipped another trunk and deflected into a tiny water hazard, which was nothing more than a culvert. It was dry and I found my ball, but it was deep in a rut and unplayable. Triple bogey ensued. On hole #4 and in the trees right of the fairway once again, I managed to avoid tree trunks with my punch out. Unfortunately, I ran right through the fairway to the rough on the other side. Despite a couple small trees in my line, I hit a great 3-iron from there to the greenside bunker on this par-5 hole. I wasted my first bunker shot, before hitting a good one and one putting for bogey.
Suspect putting on the next few holes led to a trio of double-bogeys. On hole #6, a par-5, it ruined what would have been a good recovery. My drive off the tee found the weeds right of the fairway. After a penalty stroke, my 6-iron clipped a small tree, also on the right of the fairway. However, from 185 yards out, I hit a masterful shot to find the green. It was a high 5-iron over a large bunker in front and gently onto the green that was not even visible from my position. I should have been able to two putt for bogey, but it didn't happen. I did manage par on hole #8 and made the turn with a score of 51.
The toughest part of the course is the stretch from hole #10 through #13. In the trees left of the fairway on #11, I made one of my bonehead punch outs. Instead of simply punching back to the fairway, I tried to hook one closer to the green. Well, it didn't hook and instead found a water hazard on the other side of the fairway. The final result was double-bogey. That was nothing, compared to the 11 strokes I amassed on hole #12, a par-4 that doglegs through thick trees. I duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then flared an attempted layup into the forest. I smacked a tree trunk with a punch attempt, then guess what? I punched out, only to find the trees clear across the other side of the fairway! The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. Finally, my approach to the green with the gap wedge sailed 20 yards further than normal, finding another hazard and earning another penalty. Two more shots to get on and two putts later, 11 was the final tally.
With a respectable score now out of the question, I rattled off three pars in a row, beginning with #14, a short par-3 hole. Hole #15, a par-5, was more impressive, as I earned par despite taking a penalty stroke. My drive was straight and deep, but bounced through the end of the bending fairway and into some weeds. After taking a drop, I was 200 yards from the green, which was once again not visible over the crest of the hill. I hit a fabulous high 3-iron that settled 15 feet behind the pin. Those shots are what make golf fun. Unfortunately, they are so few and far between. I just missed the birdie putt, but I was satisfied.
I was disappointed with a poor pitch shot on hole #17, a long par-3 that was playing directly into the wind. After a decent tee shot, I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but double bogey was the result. With one hole to play, it was not possible to break 100. Subconsciously, that must have affected me. I played the hole poorly, including another failed punch hook attempt that didn't hook and ended up unplayable in trees opposite the fairway. I finished with a quadruple-bogey and a pathetic final tally.
Score: 106
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 9
On the opening par-4, my drive sailed right of the fairway. With access to the green blocked by a cluster of trees, I tried laying up about 30 yards in front of the green. Instead of travelling 130 yards, my pitching wedge went 160 yards, right into a creek. It was a pattern that would repeat itself many times over the course of the round. Every time I tried to punch out of trouble or pitch back to safety, my ball would bound across the entire fairway, finding more trouble on the other side. On the opening hole, it cost me a double-bogey.
On the second hole, another par-4, I found myself deep in the trees right of the fairway. My first punch attempt smacked a tree trunk and came backwards. My second attempt clipped another trunk and deflected into a tiny water hazard, which was nothing more than a culvert. It was dry and I found my ball, but it was deep in a rut and unplayable. Triple bogey ensued. On hole #4 and in the trees right of the fairway once again, I managed to avoid tree trunks with my punch out. Unfortunately, I ran right through the fairway to the rough on the other side. Despite a couple small trees in my line, I hit a great 3-iron from there to the greenside bunker on this par-5 hole. I wasted my first bunker shot, before hitting a good one and one putting for bogey.
Suspect putting on the next few holes led to a trio of double-bogeys. On hole #6, a par-5, it ruined what would have been a good recovery. My drive off the tee found the weeds right of the fairway. After a penalty stroke, my 6-iron clipped a small tree, also on the right of the fairway. However, from 185 yards out, I hit a masterful shot to find the green. It was a high 5-iron over a large bunker in front and gently onto the green that was not even visible from my position. I should have been able to two putt for bogey, but it didn't happen. I did manage par on hole #8 and made the turn with a score of 51.
The toughest part of the course is the stretch from hole #10 through #13. In the trees left of the fairway on #11, I made one of my bonehead punch outs. Instead of simply punching back to the fairway, I tried to hook one closer to the green. Well, it didn't hook and instead found a water hazard on the other side of the fairway. The final result was double-bogey. That was nothing, compared to the 11 strokes I amassed on hole #12, a par-4 that doglegs through thick trees. I duffed a 3-iron off the tee, then flared an attempted layup into the forest. I smacked a tree trunk with a punch attempt, then guess what? I punched out, only to find the trees clear across the other side of the fairway! The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. Finally, my approach to the green with the gap wedge sailed 20 yards further than normal, finding another hazard and earning another penalty. Two more shots to get on and two putts later, 11 was the final tally.
With a respectable score now out of the question, I rattled off three pars in a row, beginning with #14, a short par-3 hole. Hole #15, a par-5, was more impressive, as I earned par despite taking a penalty stroke. My drive was straight and deep, but bounced through the end of the bending fairway and into some weeds. After taking a drop, I was 200 yards from the green, which was once again not visible over the crest of the hill. I hit a fabulous high 3-iron that settled 15 feet behind the pin. Those shots are what make golf fun. Unfortunately, they are so few and far between. I just missed the birdie putt, but I was satisfied.
I was disappointed with a poor pitch shot on hole #17, a long par-3 that was playing directly into the wind. After a decent tee shot, I should have finished with no worse than bogey, but double bogey was the result. With one hole to play, it was not possible to break 100. Subconsciously, that must have affected me. I played the hole poorly, including another failed punch hook attempt that didn't hook and ended up unplayable in trees opposite the fairway. I finished with a quadruple-bogey and a pathetic final tally.
Score: 106
Putts: 37
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 9
June 04, 2014
First Ever Visit to Calerin
Doug Carrick has designed some of the most acclaimed golf courses in Ontario, including Copper Creek, Eagle's Nest, Angus Glen, Osprey Valley, Greystone, Magna, King Valley, Muskoka Bay, Bigwin Island, and Battlefield at Legends on the Niagara. I've played my fair share of these and enjoy them thoroughly. Though each course is unique, one can definitely notice a common thread woven through them all. I guess you could call it the designer's signature.
One Carrick designed course that I hadn't played was Calerin Golf Club, located in Erin, Ontario. The only reason I hadn't played there is the fact that it is “merely” a 9-hole layout. I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 18-hole courses and I insist on them being full length. Executive, par-3, and 9-hole courses serve a useful purpose, but I don't consider them a pure test of golf. Thus, I have stayed away from Calerin – until now.
The holes at Calerin feature two very different sets of tees. Sometimes, the difference alters the length of the holes. A par-5, for example, can be reachable in two shots from one set of tees, while playing as a full three shot par-5 from the other. A par-3 can call for a sand wedge from 110 yards when teeing off from one area, while requiring a 6-iron from 170 yards when teeing off from another. But it's not just about length. The two sets of tees often alter the angle of attack, either to the green or fairway. This brings different bunkers and other hazards into play. Golfers may find that one set of tees suits their eye much more than the other.
The idea is to play 18 holes – the front nine played from one set of tees and the back nine played from the other set. I must admit, it's quite effective. Though the greens and pin locations are obviously the same, tee shots are completely different, and due to differing lengths, you're usually attacking the greens with different clubs. Total length over 18 holes is 6500 yards, so this is no slouch. In fact, I liked the course design very much. The greens, unfortunately, were in poor condition, with patches of dead grass making for a bumpy ride. However, so many courses suffered this winter that I'm willing to cut the club some slack. The outhouse (or clubhouse), on the other hand, smelled like urine. Then again, I wasn't there to entertain clients – I was there to golf.
I went bogey, par on the first two holes – a par 5, followed by a par-3. A dark cloud passed overhead right after teeing off on hole #3, dumping enough rain to soak us before we reached shelter at the clubhouse. After about ten minutes, the rain stopped, and the sun came out for the rest of the round. The golf cart had no bag covers, so my clubs got wet. I struggled to keep my grips dry on the third and fourth holes, and my soaked towel was no help. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just lost focus, but I started making some bad shots. Even with my grips dry, I struggled to finish the front nine with a score of 55.
The back nine – which was really the same nine, played from the other set of tees – was a very different story, as I shot a score of 46. For starters, I had seen the holes at least once, so I had a better idea of what to expect and where to miss. I also played better with my wedges. Early on, I was consistently going long on pitch shots in the 40 to 60 yard range. Coupled with some very poor chip shots, this was adding many unnecessary strokes. The poor chips usually came on flop attempts, where I had a lot of rough to fly over, but little green between me and the hole. Once I started hitting the greens with those 50-yard pitch shots, there was no need to chip. Hence, the improvement.
One thing that didn't change was my putting. I putt well for almost the entire round, but the greens were not rolling well enough to sink putts of any length. I therefore 2-putt everything, except for a pair of 3-putts the first time through on holes #8 and #9. The second time through on those same holes, I played my best golf of the round. In both cases, I played through strong winds to first find the fairway, and then cozy an approach to within birdie range. Those holes felt really good – it's a shame the birdies didn't drop on the less than perfect greens.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
One Carrick designed course that I hadn't played was Calerin Golf Club, located in Erin, Ontario. The only reason I hadn't played there is the fact that it is “merely” a 9-hole layout. I'm a traditionalist. I like to play 18-hole courses and I insist on them being full length. Executive, par-3, and 9-hole courses serve a useful purpose, but I don't consider them a pure test of golf. Thus, I have stayed away from Calerin – until now.
The holes at Calerin feature two very different sets of tees. Sometimes, the difference alters the length of the holes. A par-5, for example, can be reachable in two shots from one set of tees, while playing as a full three shot par-5 from the other. A par-3 can call for a sand wedge from 110 yards when teeing off from one area, while requiring a 6-iron from 170 yards when teeing off from another. But it's not just about length. The two sets of tees often alter the angle of attack, either to the green or fairway. This brings different bunkers and other hazards into play. Golfers may find that one set of tees suits their eye much more than the other.
The idea is to play 18 holes – the front nine played from one set of tees and the back nine played from the other set. I must admit, it's quite effective. Though the greens and pin locations are obviously the same, tee shots are completely different, and due to differing lengths, you're usually attacking the greens with different clubs. Total length over 18 holes is 6500 yards, so this is no slouch. In fact, I liked the course design very much. The greens, unfortunately, were in poor condition, with patches of dead grass making for a bumpy ride. However, so many courses suffered this winter that I'm willing to cut the club some slack. The outhouse (or clubhouse), on the other hand, smelled like urine. Then again, I wasn't there to entertain clients – I was there to golf.
I went bogey, par on the first two holes – a par 5, followed by a par-3. A dark cloud passed overhead right after teeing off on hole #3, dumping enough rain to soak us before we reached shelter at the clubhouse. After about ten minutes, the rain stopped, and the sun came out for the rest of the round. The golf cart had no bag covers, so my clubs got wet. I struggled to keep my grips dry on the third and fourth holes, and my soaked towel was no help. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just lost focus, but I started making some bad shots. Even with my grips dry, I struggled to finish the front nine with a score of 55.
The back nine – which was really the same nine, played from the other set of tees – was a very different story, as I shot a score of 46. For starters, I had seen the holes at least once, so I had a better idea of what to expect and where to miss. I also played better with my wedges. Early on, I was consistently going long on pitch shots in the 40 to 60 yard range. Coupled with some very poor chip shots, this was adding many unnecessary strokes. The poor chips usually came on flop attempts, where I had a lot of rough to fly over, but little green between me and the hole. Once I started hitting the greens with those 50-yard pitch shots, there was no need to chip. Hence, the improvement.
One thing that didn't change was my putting. I putt well for almost the entire round, but the greens were not rolling well enough to sink putts of any length. I therefore 2-putt everything, except for a pair of 3-putts the first time through on holes #8 and #9. The second time through on those same holes, I played my best golf of the round. In both cases, I played through strong winds to first find the fairway, and then cozy an approach to within birdie range. Those holes felt really good – it's a shame the birdies didn't drop on the less than perfect greens.
Score: 101
Putts: 38
Fairways: 2
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
June 01, 2014
Great Day at Glencairn
The best rounds of golf are the ones you can play with your friends, regardless of individual performance. I had a chance to play with some buddies at Glencairn Golf Club, which was a new course for me. The course is a links style layout, with 27 holes. We played the Speyside nine, followed by Scotch Block. It was one of the more enjoyable rounds I've had in a while. Besides being able to catch up and joke around with some friends, the course was nice and the weather was perfect. In the end, I even played pretty well.
My drives missed the fairway on the first couple of holes, but just barely. Likewise, my approaches barely missed the green. On the first hole, I chipped and 2-putt for bogey, but a poor chip and 3-putt produced double-bogey on the second. We had spent some time on the practice range before the round, but didn't get a chance to practice any putting. After a couple of holes, I had a pretty good sense of the pace to expect on the greens.
I began hole #4, a short par-5, with a perfect drive to the left side of the fairway. Next, I hit a great wedge to lay up in front of a marsh, leaving 130 yards to the flag. I hit a good 9-iron into the green, but came up short due to a headwind and found myself in a bunker. I caught too much ball, sending it over the green. Next, I duffed a chip attempt, en route to a triple bogey. My long play was good, but the short game, specifically sand play and chip shots, killed me.
I only found one other bunker the entire round, and failed to emerge cleanly once again. That time, I hit too much sand, leaving the ball in the bunker. There were other occasions where poor chips also inflated my score. I was often short sided, which forced me to flop the ball. These are the chip attempts I'm most likely to duff. When I had green to work with, I actually hit a couple of chip shots that were real gems. On a few occasions, I cozied a chip right near the pin, leaving an easy gimme putt.
I had a pair of pars on Speyside – one on the par-3 fifth hole, and the other on the par-5 sixth. The first of these was textbook, as I hit the green, made a long lag and an easy tap-in. The second was also routine, as I piped a pair of 5-woods, followed by a wedge to reach the green. A long lag and easy tap-in finished things up. The 5-wood and driver both served me well off the tee. I employed the former on shorter holes, while using the big boy on longer tests.
Pars were more plentiful on Scotch Block nine. In fact, I made par on four of the first five holes. The first featured a laser of a drive, a wicked 3-wood to reach the green in regulation after topping my second shot, and another great lag putt. The second was more of a scramble, but a great up and down saved me. My approach flew the green on the third, but I hit the edging along the cart path, keeping my ball in bounds. From there, it was a satisfying up and down. The fourth par featured a good drive and excellent approach with the 5-iron. Hitting from the rough and into the wind, I was able to draw the ball, avoiding bunkers front left and finishing up at the back of the green, flag high.
I cooled down a bit over the last four holes, but managed to finish the round with a score of 97. Given the length of the course and degree of difficulty, it was probably my best round of the season so far. Sure, I could have saved some strokes by avoiding a few bad chips, a few bad putts, and a couple of blatant mishits, but I also had many good chips, good putts, and full shots. I'm satisfied.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
My drives missed the fairway on the first couple of holes, but just barely. Likewise, my approaches barely missed the green. On the first hole, I chipped and 2-putt for bogey, but a poor chip and 3-putt produced double-bogey on the second. We had spent some time on the practice range before the round, but didn't get a chance to practice any putting. After a couple of holes, I had a pretty good sense of the pace to expect on the greens.
I began hole #4, a short par-5, with a perfect drive to the left side of the fairway. Next, I hit a great wedge to lay up in front of a marsh, leaving 130 yards to the flag. I hit a good 9-iron into the green, but came up short due to a headwind and found myself in a bunker. I caught too much ball, sending it over the green. Next, I duffed a chip attempt, en route to a triple bogey. My long play was good, but the short game, specifically sand play and chip shots, killed me.
I only found one other bunker the entire round, and failed to emerge cleanly once again. That time, I hit too much sand, leaving the ball in the bunker. There were other occasions where poor chips also inflated my score. I was often short sided, which forced me to flop the ball. These are the chip attempts I'm most likely to duff. When I had green to work with, I actually hit a couple of chip shots that were real gems. On a few occasions, I cozied a chip right near the pin, leaving an easy gimme putt.
I had a pair of pars on Speyside – one on the par-3 fifth hole, and the other on the par-5 sixth. The first of these was textbook, as I hit the green, made a long lag and an easy tap-in. The second was also routine, as I piped a pair of 5-woods, followed by a wedge to reach the green. A long lag and easy tap-in finished things up. The 5-wood and driver both served me well off the tee. I employed the former on shorter holes, while using the big boy on longer tests.
Pars were more plentiful on Scotch Block nine. In fact, I made par on four of the first five holes. The first featured a laser of a drive, a wicked 3-wood to reach the green in regulation after topping my second shot, and another great lag putt. The second was more of a scramble, but a great up and down saved me. My approach flew the green on the third, but I hit the edging along the cart path, keeping my ball in bounds. From there, it was a satisfying up and down. The fourth par featured a good drive and excellent approach with the 5-iron. Hitting from the rough and into the wind, I was able to draw the ball, avoiding bunkers front left and finishing up at the back of the green, flag high.
I cooled down a bit over the last four holes, but managed to finish the round with a score of 97. Given the length of the course and degree of difficulty, it was probably my best round of the season so far. Sure, I could have saved some strokes by avoiding a few bad chips, a few bad putts, and a couple of blatant mishits, but I also had many good chips, good putts, and full shots. I'm satisfied.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
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