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
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