I started July with a run of seven golf rounds that were not bad. Six of those rounds produced scores below the century mark, while the seventh resulted in a score of 100 even. There certainly was room for improvement, but I felt like I was regaining some control over my golf game. After my last three rounds, including the latest at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, I'm no longer sure that is the case.
I hit 7 of 13 fairways at Dragon's Fire, which is actually better than usual. Four of these came on the front nine, as beauties on holes 1, 4, 6, and 7 set me up for three bogeys and a par. The par came on hole #7, which is a par-5 that I actually reached in two. Unfortunately, I ended up 3-putting from about 15 feet away. When I missed fairways on the front nine, it was due to a wicked pull that was lost in the trees.
Three of my fairways hit came on the back nine. However, when I missed fairways on the back nine, it was due to pushed or push sliced shots. Once again those balls were lost in trees or water hazards. This illustrates one of my biggest frustrations with the game of golf. Clearly, I was trying to correct the ugly pull shots that I made on the front nine. Unfortunately, I over-corrected and the result was just as bad. All the while, there were some good shots mixed in there to give me the (false?) impression that I'm capable of playing well.
My iron play was just as erratic as my driver. I hit some very nice shots, but I also missed my fair share. Once again, there was no consistency to the misses. I hooked a couple of shots, including my tee shots on a couple of par-3 holes that play over water. Holes #9 and #17 offer bailout areas to the left side and I made full use of them, even if it was unwittingly. My hook shots were mostly smothered and did not travel far. When I tried to fix the hook, the result was excellent distance, but with balls that were pushed well right of target.
I have to say, my play wasn't the only dreadful thing at Dragon's Fire. I played the course right after it opened in 2008 and left with a favourable impression. I liked the large, level tee boxes, and the expansive fairways. The grass looked nice and sand in the bunkers was excellent. I especially enjoyed the par-3 and par-5 holes. Since then, I've played the course five more times, and it's become clear that the design is really quite poor.
The fairways are wide, but there is virtually no rough between them and the treed areas that line the entire course. In addition, the fairways are rock hard. The combination of fast fairways and almost no rough means that any ball bouncing to the side of the fairway will inevitably run straight through into the dense trees. These are not trees with clear ground underneath. The ground under the trees is covered with knee high grass and thick weeds. Any balls that go in there are lost. The course would actually be better if the fairways were more narrow, with additional rough on each side. The extra rough would corral more balls, enabling players to recover from a less than perfect shot. They would be hitting from the rough, mind you, so they would still pay the price for their mistakes, which is perfectly fair.
The greens at Dragon's Fire are hard and huge, which is another pet peeve. Since they are not receptive, balls hit into the greens release off the back frequently. With regular sized greens, these balls would roll into the fringe or rough, but remain relatively close to the flag. However, since the greens are so large, these balls are not only off the putting surface, but also a mile away from the flag! I've come to learn that it's better not to fly balls into the greens at Dragon's Fire. You're much better off hitting bump and runs through the green openings, if possible. I did that a few times during this last round, which worked well.
I shot 49 on the front nine, so I had a chance to salvage a decent score. Unfortunately, I blew up for a quadruple bogey on hole #13, a long par-5. I was flag high in a greenside bunker after four shots. I tried the technique that a fellow Deepwoods member explained to me at my previous round, but I nevertheless sent the ball clear across the green, settling under a small tree. I required two pitches and two putts to finish. It was disappointing, because I used the technique to good effect just minutes earlier on hole #12. In a greenside bunker after my tee shot on this par-3 hole, I hit the best bunker shot I can remember in a long time.
Hole #13 had already sealed my fate, but I exploded for an 11 on hole #18, also a par-5. I dunked four balls in the water on that hole. Three of these came from or near the teeing ground, while the last came from right beside the 100-yard stick. It was a virtual replay of the hole the last time I played it in 2013. Uncanny!
Score: 106
Putts: 36
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 9
July 30, 2014
July 28, 2014
Embarrassing Finish at Willow Valley
Round 3 of the 2014 Deepwoods championship took place at Willow Valley Golf Club. I resolved to get less technical about my swing, as that had gotten me in trouble at my last round. I swung freely on the practice range with pretty good results, so I took the same attitude to the course itself.
For almost the entire round, I avoided the blowup hole. For me, a blowup is any score worse than double bogey. On the front nine, I registered five bogeys and four double bogeys, for a score of 49. I only hit one fairway, on a shot that was high and fading fast. Luckily, it remained on the short grass. I also reached one green in regulation, on a very short par-3.
As the numbers suggest, I wasn't hitting the ball particularly well. However, I was at least advancing the ball with every shot. Whenever I found danger, I recovered pretty well. On hole #1, a par-4, my second shot from the left rough failed to clear a pond. That's the penalty for hitting from the rough. After taking a drop, I hit a good pitch and 2-putt to salvage double-bogey. On hole #6, a par-5, I found another hazard. After dropping, I hit a nice 5-wood and 8-iron combination to save bogey. My third penalty came on hole #9. Once again, I recovered well to make bogey.
On the back nine, things got slightly better. I played holes #10 through #17 in 8 over par. Bogey pace is great if I can maintain it over a long stretch. That run consisted of two pars, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. Incidentally, the pair of doubles came on holes #10 and #11. I hooked my approach into #10 and left myself short-sided. When I got too cute with the pitch shot, I sealed my fate. I also missed a short putt on that hole – the only putt of the day that I was really disappointed with. Hole #11 is a par-5 that I tried to reach in two after a good drive. Unfortunately, my second shot was pushed right and was lost in a hazard that crosses the fairway in front of the green. Luckily, it was my last penalty stroke of the day.
The two pars came on holes #16 and #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I once again tried to reach in two. My 5-wood from 200 yards stopped on an embankment that fronts the green, which sits on a plateau. I pitched on and 2-putt smartly. Hole #17 is a par-3 from an elevated tee. I used the hillside to direct my ball at the green, then made a nice lag putt and tap-in. I hit 5 of 6 fairways on the back nine, but only two greens in regulation.
Unfortunately, a steady round was ruined on the last hole of the day, an uphill par-5. My tee shot found some fescue, so I had to hack out back to the fairway. My fourth shot settled at the bottom of a greenside bunker. If I could get out of the bunker and 2-putt, I would finish with a score of 95, which isn't bad. The only problem is, I have been struggling with these bunker shots for a few years now. Prior to that, I had no trouble with bunkers, but now I fear them completely.
Adding to the drama was the fact that a dozen or more of my fellow Deepwoods members were watching the action from the top of the hillside overlooking the green. It's actually great to have a bit of an audience, as most of the guys in the group are very supportive and will cheer you on in that situation. Unfortunately, I silenced them completely, by taking five shots to get out of the bunker! You could hear a pin drop as the guys in the group no doubt wondered what the heck I was doing. When I finally got on the green, I 2-putt for a final score of 99.
Afterwards, I got a bit of an impromptu lesson on bunker shots from one of the better Deepwoods players, who happened to be in the crowd. He described what the bunker shot should be like, which wasn't very useful to me, as the language of golf is often very imprecise. However, when I pulled out a club and asked him to show me, it became very clear what he was talking about. I was drawing the club back very low, with little or no wrist bend. He got me to raise the club immediately, using the wrists much more. From there, it was a question of slapping the bottom of the club down and following through. I knew that the bounce of the club has to do its job and that following through was imperative. However, I didn't realize how stiff my wrists were and how low I was drawing back the club. I will have to practice what he showed me and see if it helps in the future.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
For almost the entire round, I avoided the blowup hole. For me, a blowup is any score worse than double bogey. On the front nine, I registered five bogeys and four double bogeys, for a score of 49. I only hit one fairway, on a shot that was high and fading fast. Luckily, it remained on the short grass. I also reached one green in regulation, on a very short par-3.
As the numbers suggest, I wasn't hitting the ball particularly well. However, I was at least advancing the ball with every shot. Whenever I found danger, I recovered pretty well. On hole #1, a par-4, my second shot from the left rough failed to clear a pond. That's the penalty for hitting from the rough. After taking a drop, I hit a good pitch and 2-putt to salvage double-bogey. On hole #6, a par-5, I found another hazard. After dropping, I hit a nice 5-wood and 8-iron combination to save bogey. My third penalty came on hole #9. Once again, I recovered well to make bogey.
On the back nine, things got slightly better. I played holes #10 through #17 in 8 over par. Bogey pace is great if I can maintain it over a long stretch. That run consisted of two pars, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. Incidentally, the pair of doubles came on holes #10 and #11. I hooked my approach into #10 and left myself short-sided. When I got too cute with the pitch shot, I sealed my fate. I also missed a short putt on that hole – the only putt of the day that I was really disappointed with. Hole #11 is a par-5 that I tried to reach in two after a good drive. Unfortunately, my second shot was pushed right and was lost in a hazard that crosses the fairway in front of the green. Luckily, it was my last penalty stroke of the day.
The two pars came on holes #16 and #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I once again tried to reach in two. My 5-wood from 200 yards stopped on an embankment that fronts the green, which sits on a plateau. I pitched on and 2-putt smartly. Hole #17 is a par-3 from an elevated tee. I used the hillside to direct my ball at the green, then made a nice lag putt and tap-in. I hit 5 of 6 fairways on the back nine, but only two greens in regulation.
Unfortunately, a steady round was ruined on the last hole of the day, an uphill par-5. My tee shot found some fescue, so I had to hack out back to the fairway. My fourth shot settled at the bottom of a greenside bunker. If I could get out of the bunker and 2-putt, I would finish with a score of 95, which isn't bad. The only problem is, I have been struggling with these bunker shots for a few years now. Prior to that, I had no trouble with bunkers, but now I fear them completely.
Adding to the drama was the fact that a dozen or more of my fellow Deepwoods members were watching the action from the top of the hillside overlooking the green. It's actually great to have a bit of an audience, as most of the guys in the group are very supportive and will cheer you on in that situation. Unfortunately, I silenced them completely, by taking five shots to get out of the bunker! You could hear a pin drop as the guys in the group no doubt wondered what the heck I was doing. When I finally got on the green, I 2-putt for a final score of 99.
Afterwards, I got a bit of an impromptu lesson on bunker shots from one of the better Deepwoods players, who happened to be in the crowd. He described what the bunker shot should be like, which wasn't very useful to me, as the language of golf is often very imprecise. However, when I pulled out a club and asked him to show me, it became very clear what he was talking about. I was drawing the club back very low, with little or no wrist bend. He got me to raise the club immediately, using the wrists much more. From there, it was a question of slapping the bottom of the club down and following through. I knew that the bounce of the club has to do its job and that following through was imperative. However, I didn't realize how stiff my wrists were and how low I was drawing back the club. I will have to practice what he showed me and see if it helps in the future.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
July 22, 2014
Slammed at Shawneeki
Just when I was starting to feel better about my game, I got crushed by a terrible performance. I had been shooting comfortably in the nineties and my handicap factor was slowly creeping back toward the teens. Then I went to Shawneeki Golf Club for an afternoon outing and I left feeling miserable. I played a round at Shawneeki last season, after a seven year hiatus, which left me feeling nostalgic about the course. There was none of that this time around – I just felt bad. There were a few problems.
First of all, it was hot. I teed off in the early afternoon, just when the temperature reached the high for the day. It was 31 degrees Celsius and remained that way for the entire round. Not only was it hot, but it was also very humid. I don't do well in hot and humid. I've gotten sick in similar conditions, mostly with pounding headaches, but sometimes also with nausea. It didn't help that I was walking and carrying my clubs. Shawneeki is not a hard walk, by any means, but given the heat, a power cart might have been a good idea.
Secondly, it was slow. I started as a single behind a couple and caught up to them on the third tee. Another twosome was ahead of them in the fairway, forcing all of us to wait. I didn't feel like joining the couple, and they didn't offer to have me join anyway, so my wait was extra long. The twosome that was slowing things down let the couple behind them and me play through on hole #10. After that, it was a brisk pace, but the damage had already been done on the front nine.
Given the punishing conditions and the slow start, I actually played great in the beginning. I opened with bogey, par, double-bogey, birdie, and par, for a score of 2 over par through five holes. At that pace, I would finish the round with a 79! I wasn't thinking that at the time, of course; it's just funny to realize how good that start was, in retrospect. I didn't drive the ball particularly well during that stretch, but I punched out well when needed, hit a couple of good irons, along with a couple of good pitches and chips. Putting was also good.
Since birdies are few and far between for me, allow me to describe the one I had during that run, which came on hole #4, a par-4. The ideal play is to drive the ball straight, making sure to stop before a hazard that crosses the fairway. From there, the fairway angles a bit to the right. A short iron is enough to carry the hazard and reach the green, which is surrounded by trees. Short and left of the green is better than long or right. My drive was pulled well left of the fairway. In fact, I had to wait to play my second shot, as I was in the way of a group playing another hole. I calculated that I was 130 yards from the flag.
The shot was completely blind, as there were trees between me and the green. They were far enough away that I could get over them with my pitching wedge. I struck the ball right on the desired line, but of course, lost sight of it once it cleared the trees. As I walked to the green, I began scanning for my ball. At first, I saw nothing on the green or in the rough nearby. What the hell? Then I noticed a white bulge at the base of the flagstick. It looked like it might be a ball leaning against the stick! As the angle changed, I realized it was indeed my ball, but it was about a foot away from the cup. What a great shot! Tap-in birdies are always welcome.
So everything was going well until disaster struck on hole #6. Ironically, this was my best hole on my last visit to the club. I made par on that occasion, including a 310-yard drive and a green in regulation. This time, I was conscious that I was hooking most of my drives. Over the last few rounds, I made an effort to swing more from the inside. It was working in the sense that I wasn't hitting disastrous drives, but I was sort of smothering the ball and losing distance. With a wide open fairway in font of me, I decided this was a good hole to counteract that turning over of the club that was causing the hooks. Of course, I overdid it, and my ball leaked short and well to the right, just past the teeing ground of hole #8.
The ball was lost in a hazard and I was forced to take a penalty. With tall trees between me and the 6th fairway, I tried to hoist one over with the lob wedge. Contact was less than perfect and my ball came down amidst the trees. After a good punch out, I was on the left edge of the fairway, 150 yards from the flag. Next, I barely pulled a 9-iron, but it was enough to lose my ball out of bounds! Seriously? After another penalty, I repeated the shot, this time coming up a yard short of the green. A decent chip rolled 8 feet past the hole and I needed two putts to finish. I had just racked up a score of 10 on this par-4.
To say I was livid is an understatement. A couple of rounds earlier, at Bradford Highlands, I survived a score of 12 on a hole (it was also #6) to salvage a score of 97. When the hole was over, I just forgot about it and resumed my good play. This time was different. I was just so disgusted with the outcome of that hole that I couldn't let it go. I basically cursed myself for the next seven holes. It was only on hole #14 that I let it go. Incidentally, I also scored 10 on hole #13, another par-4. I didn't really care, as I had already thrown in the towel after hole #6. I went through the motions, and even continued keeping score, but the last two thirds of the round were just played to get it over with. I considered walking off the course, but decided against it.
The troubling thing is that I am now hooking everything. This is why I hate to get technical about my swing. What starts out as a useful adjustment ends up becoming the problem. It happens time and time again. This time, I encouraged myself to swing more from the inside. It was designed to counteract my tendency to swing from the outside-in. At first, the adjustment helped. With repetition, however, my body and brain began overdoing it. The move from the inside was paired with too much of a “turning over” action at impact and follow through. Now I find myself having to make an adjustment that takes me back to my older movement – a swing that is itself, problematic. It's comical, really.
I had planned to play one more round before the next Deepwoods event, but now I think I'll skip it. Hopefully, that gives my body and brain enough time to forget this move that plagued me at Shawneeki.
Score: 108
Putts: 32
Fairways: 1
Greens: 0
Penalties: 9
First of all, it was hot. I teed off in the early afternoon, just when the temperature reached the high for the day. It was 31 degrees Celsius and remained that way for the entire round. Not only was it hot, but it was also very humid. I don't do well in hot and humid. I've gotten sick in similar conditions, mostly with pounding headaches, but sometimes also with nausea. It didn't help that I was walking and carrying my clubs. Shawneeki is not a hard walk, by any means, but given the heat, a power cart might have been a good idea.
Secondly, it was slow. I started as a single behind a couple and caught up to them on the third tee. Another twosome was ahead of them in the fairway, forcing all of us to wait. I didn't feel like joining the couple, and they didn't offer to have me join anyway, so my wait was extra long. The twosome that was slowing things down let the couple behind them and me play through on hole #10. After that, it was a brisk pace, but the damage had already been done on the front nine.
Given the punishing conditions and the slow start, I actually played great in the beginning. I opened with bogey, par, double-bogey, birdie, and par, for a score of 2 over par through five holes. At that pace, I would finish the round with a 79! I wasn't thinking that at the time, of course; it's just funny to realize how good that start was, in retrospect. I didn't drive the ball particularly well during that stretch, but I punched out well when needed, hit a couple of good irons, along with a couple of good pitches and chips. Putting was also good.
Since birdies are few and far between for me, allow me to describe the one I had during that run, which came on hole #4, a par-4. The ideal play is to drive the ball straight, making sure to stop before a hazard that crosses the fairway. From there, the fairway angles a bit to the right. A short iron is enough to carry the hazard and reach the green, which is surrounded by trees. Short and left of the green is better than long or right. My drive was pulled well left of the fairway. In fact, I had to wait to play my second shot, as I was in the way of a group playing another hole. I calculated that I was 130 yards from the flag.
The shot was completely blind, as there were trees between me and the green. They were far enough away that I could get over them with my pitching wedge. I struck the ball right on the desired line, but of course, lost sight of it once it cleared the trees. As I walked to the green, I began scanning for my ball. At first, I saw nothing on the green or in the rough nearby. What the hell? Then I noticed a white bulge at the base of the flagstick. It looked like it might be a ball leaning against the stick! As the angle changed, I realized it was indeed my ball, but it was about a foot away from the cup. What a great shot! Tap-in birdies are always welcome.
So everything was going well until disaster struck on hole #6. Ironically, this was my best hole on my last visit to the club. I made par on that occasion, including a 310-yard drive and a green in regulation. This time, I was conscious that I was hooking most of my drives. Over the last few rounds, I made an effort to swing more from the inside. It was working in the sense that I wasn't hitting disastrous drives, but I was sort of smothering the ball and losing distance. With a wide open fairway in font of me, I decided this was a good hole to counteract that turning over of the club that was causing the hooks. Of course, I overdid it, and my ball leaked short and well to the right, just past the teeing ground of hole #8.
The ball was lost in a hazard and I was forced to take a penalty. With tall trees between me and the 6th fairway, I tried to hoist one over with the lob wedge. Contact was less than perfect and my ball came down amidst the trees. After a good punch out, I was on the left edge of the fairway, 150 yards from the flag. Next, I barely pulled a 9-iron, but it was enough to lose my ball out of bounds! Seriously? After another penalty, I repeated the shot, this time coming up a yard short of the green. A decent chip rolled 8 feet past the hole and I needed two putts to finish. I had just racked up a score of 10 on this par-4.
To say I was livid is an understatement. A couple of rounds earlier, at Bradford Highlands, I survived a score of 12 on a hole (it was also #6) to salvage a score of 97. When the hole was over, I just forgot about it and resumed my good play. This time was different. I was just so disgusted with the outcome of that hole that I couldn't let it go. I basically cursed myself for the next seven holes. It was only on hole #14 that I let it go. Incidentally, I also scored 10 on hole #13, another par-4. I didn't really care, as I had already thrown in the towel after hole #6. I went through the motions, and even continued keeping score, but the last two thirds of the round were just played to get it over with. I considered walking off the course, but decided against it.
The troubling thing is that I am now hooking everything. This is why I hate to get technical about my swing. What starts out as a useful adjustment ends up becoming the problem. It happens time and time again. This time, I encouraged myself to swing more from the inside. It was designed to counteract my tendency to swing from the outside-in. At first, the adjustment helped. With repetition, however, my body and brain began overdoing it. The move from the inside was paired with too much of a “turning over” action at impact and follow through. Now I find myself having to make an adjustment that takes me back to my older movement – a swing that is itself, problematic. It's comical, really.
I had planned to play one more round before the next Deepwoods event, but now I think I'll skip it. Hopefully, that gives my body and brain enough time to forget this move that plagued me at Shawneeki.
Score: 108
Putts: 32
Fairways: 1
Greens: 0
Penalties: 9
July 16, 2014
In Control at Paris Grand
I headed out to Paris Grand Golf Club this morning and had a very enjoyable round. I teed off as a single at about 7:30 am, having spent a couple of minutes on the practice green. It was relatively cool, but I was very comfortable in shorts and a golf shirt. A threesome let me play through on hole #7, at which point the course ahead of me was wide open. There's something peaceful about playing alone. With nobody to worry about except myself, I find it easy to focus on the finer points of the game. As a result, I usually shoot better scores.
I hit a smooth drive on the opening hole, through a chute of trees from an elevated tee to the middle of the fairway. Following a purely struck 6-iron, I hit a 50-yard pitch to reach the green of this par-5 in regulation. After two putts, I had a “routine” par. You gotta love it. Golf the way it was meant to be played! I wasn't quite so perfect the rest of the round, but I was almost always in control. It's a great feeling when you're truly challenging the course. Sure, it gets the better of you sometimes, but if you're getting the ball elevated and generally in the right direction, you're golden.
I got up and down from a greenside bunker on hole #2 to save bogey. Despite that, it was actually my short game (specifically, chipping) that cost me a stroke here and there. On hole #3, a 170-yard par-3, I hit a good 6-iron off the tee. The green is a slightly elevated plateau carved into the side of a hill and my ball came up about two yards short. I had a good uphill lie and plenty of green to work with. In that position, a good player makes par nine times out of ten. My chip ran too far past the hole, leaving too much work for par. I had to settle for bogey.
On hole #4, a dogleg par-4, I hit a beautiful second shot with the 4-iron that rolled about two feet off the back of the green. Again, I had a great lie and plenty of green to work with. This time, my chip came up well short, leaving too much real estate to save par. Bogey was once more the result. On hole #6, a 150-yard par-3, my tee shot trickled off the back of the green into a bunker. Unlike hole #2, I was not able to get up and down. I got out of the bunker reasonably, but needed two putts for a bogey.
The bogey train continued for most of the front nine, but ended with holes #8 and #9, which are back to back par-5 holes, and probably the toughest on the course. Both cross a large ravine that has a huge appetite for golf balls. In previous visits to Paris Grand, I was able to carry the ravine on hole #8 off the tee. This time, the tees were set further back, so I opted to lay up. The layup is not an easy shot, because the tee is severely elevated and the fairway drops steeply away from you. I hit a 6-iron to a seemingly perfect spot in the middle of the fairway, about 20 yards before the ravine. The problem was that my next shot had to be played off the downslope. I chose 7-iron, which has a good amount of loft, knowing that it would be delofted somewhat by the stance. Sure enough, I caught the ball thin and sculled it into the ravine. What a waste of the great tee shot. Because of the excursion into the ravine and associated penalty, I finished the hole with a triple-bogey.
On hole #9, I hit a great tee shot as well, but this one was with the driver. To get over the ravine on your second shot, the drive has to be placed perfectly, and mine was. Leave it too far back and you'll have a long carry to contend with. Too far left and you'll go in the woods or be blocked out on your second shot. My drive hit the hillside right of the fairway, ending up dead centre, 220 yards from the green. Inexplicably, my attempted 5-wood caught the ball thin and ended up in the ravine. This time, there was no excuse. The stance and lie were both ideal. I just failed to connect properly. After a penalty stroke, I hit the 5-wood well, ending up flag high, just left of the green. I finished the hole with a double-bogey, and the front nine with a score of 49.
The back nine was a lot like the front. Once again, I kicked things off with a “routine” par. My driver found the fairway, I pitched onto the green, and then 2-putt. Easy breezy. Hole #11 was interesting. This par-4 is not long, but the tee shot can be tricky. From the tee, the left side is open, but it's narrow and a hazard lines the left side. There is lots of room on the right, but you have to carry a large wooded area to get there, including a massive tree. I was surprised to see that the tree had been damaged, probably over the harsh winter. The entire left side of it had cracked off and lay in a heap underneath. Sweet! That made it a lot easier to get past. I hit right along the line of the missing tree branches and found the centre of the fairway, 110 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for bogey after reaching the green in regulation.
I played a bonehead second shot on hole #14, a par-3 with a somewhat unfair green. If you're above the hole, it's almost impossible to keep your putt on the green. Knowing this, I hit a 7-iron to just in front of the green. The flag was in the front, so I had a short, uphill chip to set up a par. At worst, I should get a bogey. Instead, I chipped the ball well past the hole, just enough to reach a ridge, where the ball settled. A little less, and the ball would have rolled back downhill, finishing near the cup. Instead, I was forced to putt downhill with no chance of staying on the green. I finished with a double-bogey.
Hole #16 was the only one I really butchered. With a massive split fairway, it really is the easiest place to hit driver on the entire course. Conscious of not slicing the ball or getting too aggressive, I ended up smothering the ball weakly. It was on line, but failed to even reach the fairway. The real problem was that I had a terrible stance and lie. Bad luck continued, as I found myself with two more impossible stances and lies en route to the green. A nice chip from just off the green nearly dropped for triple-bogey, but I had to accept a quad.
The last two holes were among my best of the day. I hit a 9-iron on #17, a 146-yard par-3. It was a slight draw that landed 18 inches left of the hole. The ball took a bit of a side spin, leaving a 2-footer for birdie, which I drained easily. Golf the way it was meant to be played! Hole #18 is a short par-4, at 294 yards in length. I was still feeling good about driver, so I went with it. I ended up just left of the fairway, 45 yards from the flag. I hit a good pitch, leaving a realistic chance at birdie. It was a right to left breaker, about 9 feet away. I studied it well and then took my stroke. As the ball curled toward the hole, I pumped my fist in celebration, but no! The ball caught the lip on the high side and didn't drop. I was practically positive it was going in! Oh well, those moments are fun anyway.
With this score, my handicap dropped to 21.7 – lower than it was all of last season. The last time I was at that level was August 2012. Now, I'd like to see if I can get to 19.2 or better, which is where I stood at the start of the 2012 season. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but 18 is a key level for me. If I can get to that level before this season ends, it will be a positive development.
Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
I hit a smooth drive on the opening hole, through a chute of trees from an elevated tee to the middle of the fairway. Following a purely struck 6-iron, I hit a 50-yard pitch to reach the green of this par-5 in regulation. After two putts, I had a “routine” par. You gotta love it. Golf the way it was meant to be played! I wasn't quite so perfect the rest of the round, but I was almost always in control. It's a great feeling when you're truly challenging the course. Sure, it gets the better of you sometimes, but if you're getting the ball elevated and generally in the right direction, you're golden.
I got up and down from a greenside bunker on hole #2 to save bogey. Despite that, it was actually my short game (specifically, chipping) that cost me a stroke here and there. On hole #3, a 170-yard par-3, I hit a good 6-iron off the tee. The green is a slightly elevated plateau carved into the side of a hill and my ball came up about two yards short. I had a good uphill lie and plenty of green to work with. In that position, a good player makes par nine times out of ten. My chip ran too far past the hole, leaving too much work for par. I had to settle for bogey.
On hole #4, a dogleg par-4, I hit a beautiful second shot with the 4-iron that rolled about two feet off the back of the green. Again, I had a great lie and plenty of green to work with. This time, my chip came up well short, leaving too much real estate to save par. Bogey was once more the result. On hole #6, a 150-yard par-3, my tee shot trickled off the back of the green into a bunker. Unlike hole #2, I was not able to get up and down. I got out of the bunker reasonably, but needed two putts for a bogey.
The bogey train continued for most of the front nine, but ended with holes #8 and #9, which are back to back par-5 holes, and probably the toughest on the course. Both cross a large ravine that has a huge appetite for golf balls. In previous visits to Paris Grand, I was able to carry the ravine on hole #8 off the tee. This time, the tees were set further back, so I opted to lay up. The layup is not an easy shot, because the tee is severely elevated and the fairway drops steeply away from you. I hit a 6-iron to a seemingly perfect spot in the middle of the fairway, about 20 yards before the ravine. The problem was that my next shot had to be played off the downslope. I chose 7-iron, which has a good amount of loft, knowing that it would be delofted somewhat by the stance. Sure enough, I caught the ball thin and sculled it into the ravine. What a waste of the great tee shot. Because of the excursion into the ravine and associated penalty, I finished the hole with a triple-bogey.
On hole #9, I hit a great tee shot as well, but this one was with the driver. To get over the ravine on your second shot, the drive has to be placed perfectly, and mine was. Leave it too far back and you'll have a long carry to contend with. Too far left and you'll go in the woods or be blocked out on your second shot. My drive hit the hillside right of the fairway, ending up dead centre, 220 yards from the green. Inexplicably, my attempted 5-wood caught the ball thin and ended up in the ravine. This time, there was no excuse. The stance and lie were both ideal. I just failed to connect properly. After a penalty stroke, I hit the 5-wood well, ending up flag high, just left of the green. I finished the hole with a double-bogey, and the front nine with a score of 49.
The back nine was a lot like the front. Once again, I kicked things off with a “routine” par. My driver found the fairway, I pitched onto the green, and then 2-putt. Easy breezy. Hole #11 was interesting. This par-4 is not long, but the tee shot can be tricky. From the tee, the left side is open, but it's narrow and a hazard lines the left side. There is lots of room on the right, but you have to carry a large wooded area to get there, including a massive tree. I was surprised to see that the tree had been damaged, probably over the harsh winter. The entire left side of it had cracked off and lay in a heap underneath. Sweet! That made it a lot easier to get past. I hit right along the line of the missing tree branches and found the centre of the fairway, 110 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I 3-putt for bogey after reaching the green in regulation.
I played a bonehead second shot on hole #14, a par-3 with a somewhat unfair green. If you're above the hole, it's almost impossible to keep your putt on the green. Knowing this, I hit a 7-iron to just in front of the green. The flag was in the front, so I had a short, uphill chip to set up a par. At worst, I should get a bogey. Instead, I chipped the ball well past the hole, just enough to reach a ridge, where the ball settled. A little less, and the ball would have rolled back downhill, finishing near the cup. Instead, I was forced to putt downhill with no chance of staying on the green. I finished with a double-bogey.
Hole #16 was the only one I really butchered. With a massive split fairway, it really is the easiest place to hit driver on the entire course. Conscious of not slicing the ball or getting too aggressive, I ended up smothering the ball weakly. It was on line, but failed to even reach the fairway. The real problem was that I had a terrible stance and lie. Bad luck continued, as I found myself with two more impossible stances and lies en route to the green. A nice chip from just off the green nearly dropped for triple-bogey, but I had to accept a quad.
The last two holes were among my best of the day. I hit a 9-iron on #17, a 146-yard par-3. It was a slight draw that landed 18 inches left of the hole. The ball took a bit of a side spin, leaving a 2-footer for birdie, which I drained easily. Golf the way it was meant to be played! Hole #18 is a short par-4, at 294 yards in length. I was still feeling good about driver, so I went with it. I ended up just left of the fairway, 45 yards from the flag. I hit a good pitch, leaving a realistic chance at birdie. It was a right to left breaker, about 9 feet away. I studied it well and then took my stroke. As the ball curled toward the hole, I pumped my fist in celebration, but no! The ball caught the lip on the high side and didn't drop. I was practically positive it was going in! Oh well, those moments are fun anyway.
With this score, my handicap dropped to 21.7 – lower than it was all of last season. The last time I was at that level was August 2012. Now, I'd like to see if I can get to 19.2 or better, which is where I stood at the start of the 2012 season. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but 18 is a key level for me. If I can get to that level before this season ends, it will be a positive development.
Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 6
Greens: 5
Penalties: 6
July 14, 2014
Bradford Highlands Jinx
I'm not superstitious, but my most recent visit to Bradford Highlands has me thinking. In July 2012, I shot a 99 there, including 14 on hole #6. Yes, that's right. In late 2009, I also shot 99 at the club, including 11 on hole #6. Yesterday, I shot 97 at Bradford, including 12 on, you guessed it, hole #6. By the way, hole #6 is a modest par-4 measuring 357 yards. It is rated the #6 handicap hole on the course. There must be another 6 related to the hole, because it obviously has the mark of the beast written all over it.
It is a straightaway hole, though the right side is out of bounds from tee to green. In the 2012 round I described earlier, I pushed four consecutive balls out of bounds off the tee. In the 2009 round, I “merely” sliced two balls OB off the tee. This time, I smother hooked my tee ball into a small pond left of the fairway. After taking a drop, I thinned one into the very same pond. My next attempt was short and right, finding another hazard that crosses the fairway nearer the green. Next, I came up short in a bunker, then picked one clean into a hazard behind the green. I collected four penalty strokes on that hole alone!
It was really incredible, especially because the rest of my round was fantastic. I struggled to quadruple bogey on the opening hole, but otherwise played better than bogey golf. For sixteen holes, I was 13 over par. This included five pars, nine bogeys, and two doubles. If you eliminate the two bad holes, this actually felt like my best round of the year. I hit a decent number of fairways with the driver, as well as some good 5-woods. My irons weren't laser sharp, but good enough to get in the vicinity of the greens. My chipping was pretty good and so was my putting. I tallied 33 putts on the day, but only made one really bad one. It was a lag on a par-3 that came up well short, leading to my only 3-putt of the day.
My two worst irons of the day were responsible for the two double-bogeys. The first of these was a hooked 6-iron off the tee on hole #2, a par-3. The ball ended up under a bush and very nearly out of bounds. I was forced to declare it unplayable. The second was a thinned lob wedge from 90 yards out on hole #10. I had just piped a 280-yard drive straight down the centre of the fairway. What a waste! The worst part of the wedge shot was the fact that the ball ended up in a creek that crosses in front of the green.
Overall, I'm happy. I consider the 12 on hole #6 an aberration, even though I've blown up there before.
Score: 97
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 7
It is a straightaway hole, though the right side is out of bounds from tee to green. In the 2012 round I described earlier, I pushed four consecutive balls out of bounds off the tee. In the 2009 round, I “merely” sliced two balls OB off the tee. This time, I smother hooked my tee ball into a small pond left of the fairway. After taking a drop, I thinned one into the very same pond. My next attempt was short and right, finding another hazard that crosses the fairway nearer the green. Next, I came up short in a bunker, then picked one clean into a hazard behind the green. I collected four penalty strokes on that hole alone!
It was really incredible, especially because the rest of my round was fantastic. I struggled to quadruple bogey on the opening hole, but otherwise played better than bogey golf. For sixteen holes, I was 13 over par. This included five pars, nine bogeys, and two doubles. If you eliminate the two bad holes, this actually felt like my best round of the year. I hit a decent number of fairways with the driver, as well as some good 5-woods. My irons weren't laser sharp, but good enough to get in the vicinity of the greens. My chipping was pretty good and so was my putting. I tallied 33 putts on the day, but only made one really bad one. It was a lag on a par-3 that came up well short, leading to my only 3-putt of the day.
My two worst irons of the day were responsible for the two double-bogeys. The first of these was a hooked 6-iron off the tee on hole #2, a par-3. The ball ended up under a bush and very nearly out of bounds. I was forced to declare it unplayable. The second was a thinned lob wedge from 90 yards out on hole #10. I had just piped a 280-yard drive straight down the centre of the fairway. What a waste! The worst part of the wedge shot was the fact that the ball ended up in a creek that crosses in front of the green.
Overall, I'm happy. I consider the 12 on hole #6 an aberration, even though I've blown up there before.
Score: 97
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 7
July 09, 2014
Reasonable at Century Pines
By my count, I've played Century Pines about ten times. The first time was in 2006 – a rather inauspicious debut that produced a score of 109. My next two visits, which took place in 2010, produced my best results at the course – a seemingly easy 93 and 97. I played the course three times in 2011 and twice each of the last two years. You would think that my scores would get better as my knowledge of the course improved, but that was not the case. After scoring 101 in early 2011, my scores went like this: 112, 111, 106, 103, 101, 100.
I didn't realize how poorly I've played this course until I looked up the numbers. The good news is that the scores have been trending in the right direction. That is really looking for a silver lining, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? One thing I remember about recent visits is how terribly I started, particularly on the opening par-5 hole. If I'm not mistaken, I've reached double digits on that hole a couple of times, which absolutely kills your round before it truly begins.
I'm happy to say that I managed to make par on that hole this time around. I hit driver to the opposite fairway (trust me, it's better that way), followed by 5-iron back to the proper fairway, 7-iron to the area in front of the green, a serviceable pitch shot and a lengthy putt. I also made par on hole #3, a 380-yard par-4. I hit driver to the middle of the fairway, followed by a 9-iron from 140 yards that just rolled off the back of the green. My chip shot was pretty good, leaving a 5-footer that I drained.
It was bogeys the rest of the way on the front nine, except for a triple on hole #6. After driving the ball right of the fairway (the safe play), I failed to punch through a couple of trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot was a good punch toward the green, but it was inevitable that my ball would get caught in a large bunker there. I picked the ball out too cleanly, overshooting the green. I absolutely must stop doing that! It's totally a mental thing that has been killing me for years now. I dread the greenside bunker shot.
Let's not lament that too much, because things were going pretty well. They got even better on hole #11, a short par-4 measuring 309 yards. I hit driver off this tee once and finished 5 yards off the front of the green. That was great, but it was the exception, rather than the rule. When going for distance off the tee, I've also sliced into the trees on the right and pulled into the hazard on the left. Usually, I just try to hit a mid-iron to the 150-yard stick, followed by a similar club into the green. It's the better strategy for me, as there is less danger with a conservative tee shot. This time, I hit a 6-iron right to the 150 yard stick, followed by a beauty of an 8-iron that had me thinking about eagle. Alas, I needed a three foot putt for birdie, which I drained!
Up to this point, my round was penalty-free. That changed with my tee shot on hole #12, a pulled shot with the 5-wood that was lost in a hazard. As a result of that error, I made triple bogey. I collected two more penalty strokes over the remainder of the round. Coincidentally, they both came on par-5 holes. Once again, they were the main reason for two more triple bogeys. I averaged bogey for the remaining holes, which was enough to salvage a final score of 95.
While there were plenty of good shots in this round, as with many of my recent rounds, there were also some costly mistakes. Still, I managed my second best score ever at Century Pines, which isn't bad. I guess it shows how horrific some of my earlier visits had been.
One last thing I noticed while looking at my scores, so far, for 2014. Aside from three throwaway rounds of 119, 115, and 106, my remaining scores read like this: 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. Talk about having your bases covered! LOL
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
I didn't realize how poorly I've played this course until I looked up the numbers. The good news is that the scores have been trending in the right direction. That is really looking for a silver lining, but you've gotta start somewhere, right? One thing I remember about recent visits is how terribly I started, particularly on the opening par-5 hole. If I'm not mistaken, I've reached double digits on that hole a couple of times, which absolutely kills your round before it truly begins.
I'm happy to say that I managed to make par on that hole this time around. I hit driver to the opposite fairway (trust me, it's better that way), followed by 5-iron back to the proper fairway, 7-iron to the area in front of the green, a serviceable pitch shot and a lengthy putt. I also made par on hole #3, a 380-yard par-4. I hit driver to the middle of the fairway, followed by a 9-iron from 140 yards that just rolled off the back of the green. My chip shot was pretty good, leaving a 5-footer that I drained.
It was bogeys the rest of the way on the front nine, except for a triple on hole #6. After driving the ball right of the fairway (the safe play), I failed to punch through a couple of trees to get back to the fairway. My third shot was a good punch toward the green, but it was inevitable that my ball would get caught in a large bunker there. I picked the ball out too cleanly, overshooting the green. I absolutely must stop doing that! It's totally a mental thing that has been killing me for years now. I dread the greenside bunker shot.
Let's not lament that too much, because things were going pretty well. They got even better on hole #11, a short par-4 measuring 309 yards. I hit driver off this tee once and finished 5 yards off the front of the green. That was great, but it was the exception, rather than the rule. When going for distance off the tee, I've also sliced into the trees on the right and pulled into the hazard on the left. Usually, I just try to hit a mid-iron to the 150-yard stick, followed by a similar club into the green. It's the better strategy for me, as there is less danger with a conservative tee shot. This time, I hit a 6-iron right to the 150 yard stick, followed by a beauty of an 8-iron that had me thinking about eagle. Alas, I needed a three foot putt for birdie, which I drained!
Up to this point, my round was penalty-free. That changed with my tee shot on hole #12, a pulled shot with the 5-wood that was lost in a hazard. As a result of that error, I made triple bogey. I collected two more penalty strokes over the remainder of the round. Coincidentally, they both came on par-5 holes. Once again, they were the main reason for two more triple bogeys. I averaged bogey for the remaining holes, which was enough to salvage a final score of 95.
While there were plenty of good shots in this round, as with many of my recent rounds, there were also some costly mistakes. Still, I managed my second best score ever at Century Pines, which isn't bad. I guess it shows how horrific some of my earlier visits had been.
One last thing I noticed while looking at my scores, so far, for 2014. Aside from three throwaway rounds of 119, 115, and 106, my remaining scores read like this: 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101. Talk about having your bases covered! LOL
Score: 95
Putts: 32
Fairways: 5
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
July 08, 2014
Good Start, Bad Finish at Granite Ridge
The Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge is where I shot my second lowest score ever (on a par 70 or greater). I was 10 over par that day, finishing with a score of 82. When I go back there, which doesn't happen often, I always feel like I could do it again. On my most recent visit, I wasn't close at all, finishing with an even 100. The round included some good shots, but the bad ones were very costly, often resulting in a penalty of stroke and distance.
I actually got off to a good start, with a pair of pars on the first two holes. My drives missed the fairways slightly, but on both occasions, I hit a good pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation. I was in good shape through four holes, before making three consecutive triple bogeys. Holes #2 through #6 wrap around the perimeter of the property, making the left side of that stretch out of bounds. Hole #5 is a par-3, with water guarding the right and front of the green. My first tee shot was OB. Hole #6 is a short par-4, with bushes and weeds guarding the entire right side. Again, my first tee shot was OB. Costly indeed!
I bogeyed holes #8 through #11 with some pretty good shot making. There were a couple of bad shots mixed in there, but on both occasions, I recovered very well. On hole #12, I hooked my tee shot short and into some trees, leading to double-bogey. I almost saved bogey with an 8-foot putt, but just burned the edge. It was that kind of day. Whenever I had a putt of that length to save a stroke, I managed to burn the edge. It happened to me on holes #14, #16, and #17. As a result, I was robbed of a bogey and two pars.
I had every opportunity to break 100, but hole #15 eliminated the breathing room I needed. This is a long par-5 with OB along the entire right side. The left side is peppered with a series of small water hazards. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, followed by a solid 5-iron that barely trickled into the right rough at 100 yards out. I had navigated all of the real danger, but then flared a sand wedge right of target, into a lateral hazard. After taking my penalty stroke, the follow up attempt wasn't much better. I was still off the green and needed a chip and 2 putts to finish with a triple bogey.
I bogeyed the next two holes and the same on #18 would have earned a score of 99. Alas, I thinned a sand wedge from 100 yards out, smacking a tree trunk. My next attempt was in a greenside bunker. If I got up and down, I would still salvage 99. The weakness of my bunker play has been well documented, so it wasn't looking good. Sure enough, I barely emerged from the bunker. A chip and a putt later, and it was the dreaded century mark once again.
I'm not too upset. I hit a decent number of shots well – it's just that the bad ones resulted in penalty strokes. I also didn't catch a break with my putting. I feel like I putt pretty well, but the ball just didn't want to drop.
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
I actually got off to a good start, with a pair of pars on the first two holes. My drives missed the fairways slightly, but on both occasions, I hit a good pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation. I was in good shape through four holes, before making three consecutive triple bogeys. Holes #2 through #6 wrap around the perimeter of the property, making the left side of that stretch out of bounds. Hole #5 is a par-3, with water guarding the right and front of the green. My first tee shot was OB. Hole #6 is a short par-4, with bushes and weeds guarding the entire right side. Again, my first tee shot was OB. Costly indeed!
I bogeyed holes #8 through #11 with some pretty good shot making. There were a couple of bad shots mixed in there, but on both occasions, I recovered very well. On hole #12, I hooked my tee shot short and into some trees, leading to double-bogey. I almost saved bogey with an 8-foot putt, but just burned the edge. It was that kind of day. Whenever I had a putt of that length to save a stroke, I managed to burn the edge. It happened to me on holes #14, #16, and #17. As a result, I was robbed of a bogey and two pars.
I had every opportunity to break 100, but hole #15 eliminated the breathing room I needed. This is a long par-5 with OB along the entire right side. The left side is peppered with a series of small water hazards. I hit a perfect drive to the centre of the fairway, followed by a solid 5-iron that barely trickled into the right rough at 100 yards out. I had navigated all of the real danger, but then flared a sand wedge right of target, into a lateral hazard. After taking my penalty stroke, the follow up attempt wasn't much better. I was still off the green and needed a chip and 2 putts to finish with a triple bogey.
I bogeyed the next two holes and the same on #18 would have earned a score of 99. Alas, I thinned a sand wedge from 100 yards out, smacking a tree trunk. My next attempt was in a greenside bunker. If I got up and down, I would still salvage 99. The weakness of my bunker play has been well documented, so it wasn't looking good. Sure enough, I barely emerged from the bunker. A chip and a putt later, and it was the dreaded century mark once again.
I'm not too upset. I hit a decent number of shots well – it's just that the bad ones resulted in penalty strokes. I also didn't catch a break with my putting. I feel like I putt pretty well, but the ball just didn't want to drop.
Score: 100
Putts: 37
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 6
July 04, 2014
Plenty of Good at Bushwood
Bushwood is a course I've played about eight times, but the last time was back in 2008. I have fond memories of playing there with The Unreliables as I started to get more and more into the game. So it was with a bit of nostalgia that I returned to the Markham area course for a late afternoon round. A peek at some previous blog entries showed that I had scored 98, 97, and 97 in my last three visits there. That's nowhere near the course record – 61 by Bubba Watson in July 2005 – but good enough to have some optimism.
I got paired up with another player, who introduced himself on the first tee. In a strange coincidence, it turns out we had the same first name! I've been paired up with plenty of strangers in the past and that has never happened before. He was a good playing partner – friendly, but not too chatty. He wasn't the greatest golfer, but neither am I, and that's neither here nor there.
I struggled to poor scores on just three of the holes played. One produced a double bogey after I inadvertently picked the ball clean from a greenside bunker. This happens way too often! Another produced a triple bogey after a failed layup attempt on my second shot. I was merely trying to pitch the ball 40 yards ahead and duffed it completely. The conservative play was designed to avoid out of bounds on the right and a large pond on the left. Forced to go for the green after the duff, I managed to find the water. The last of the poor holes produced a quadruple bogey, thanks to a second shot that I blocked with the 6-iron out of bounds.
With all the bad stuff out of the way, let's focus on the good, because there was a lot of it. On the remaining fifteen holes, I registered thirteen bogeys and two pars. My driver was not particularly good, but it didn't get me in trouble. In my practice swings, I was trying to make sure I approached the ball from the inside. I tried to shorten the backswing a little and drop the clubhead to the inside at the start of the downswing. In certain situations (i.e. when there was more room for error) I deliberately went back to my “normal” swing. The result of all this was mixed. I pulled a couple to opposite fairways, while flaring a couple others. I also hit some very nice ones, including one on the par-5 fifth hole and my best of the day on the par-4 tenth.
The real story of the day was my iron play. Kudos to a fellow Deepwoods member for pointing out that I was collapsing the left elbow far too early on almost all of my shots. Since that bit of advice, I made an adjustment and the results have been noticeable. It hasn't helped me with the driver, mind you, but it really has improved the feeling I have with all of the irons – from wedges all the way to 3-iron. With high lofted irons, my accuracy has gotten better. With the long irons, I'm just getting much better contact and ball flight.
At Bushwood, I hit great 5 and 3-iron shots especially. I hit a solid 5-iron into the green on hole #2, followed by a marvellous one on hole #7. This is the #3 handicap hole on the course, a long par-4. From 195 yards in the right rough, I took aim over a spruce tree in the distance. Contact was crisp, the ball got up over the tree quickly, and carried easily over a valley in front of the green. The ball came to rest flag high, a yard off the right edge of the green. Only a lip-out from five feet prevented the par. The 5-iron was also good off the tee on hole #8, a par-3.
Perhaps the most impressive 5-iron shot was my third on hole #9, a par-5. From 180 yards out in the left rough, I absolutely launched one toward the green. I had to start it right to avoid a tree just ahead. The ball was a sky high draw. That's right, a high draw! When I draw the ball, it usually flies fairly low, but this one was spectacular. I overshot the green with it, but I loved the contact and shape of the ball flight. Heck, the 5-iron was even useful on my approach on hole #17. It found a greenside bunker, but once again, it was the contact and high ball flight that I liked.
A few 3-iron shots also deserve mention. One was the tee shot on hole #4, a short par 4 that was playing 290 yards. Iron off the tee is the smart play on this one, but as I've said before, good decision making means nothing if you can't follow up with execution. This time, I did precisely that, with a straight, piercing shot that set up a wedge approach. Another great 3-iron shot was also off the tee – this time on hole #13, which was playing 221 yards. There was a bit of a helping wind and the flag was at the front of the green, so I figured 3-iron was a good choice. I hit a crisp laser, right on line. The ball bounced in front of the green, but rolled past the flag and up a steep ridge before settling near the back of the putting surface. I finished with a 3-putt there, but wasn't perturbed, as the tee shot left me with a good feeling.
I could go on describing good iron shots, but you get the picture. What pleases me most is the fact that all my irons were good. I can recall a great 8-iron from an opposite fairway, another over the edge of some trees that was all over the flag. There was a similar shot over some trees with the gap wedge that found the green, and a great shot with the lob wedge from 85 yards to help save bogey on a hole that started poorly. A great putt helped me that time, and in fact I had good putting almost all day. I registered 31 putts for the round, and that could have been lower as I had three or four near misses for par. As usual, when putting numbers are lower, it's usually because your chipping is pretty good. I messed up the odd chip or pitch shot, but I got up and down a fair number of times.
Looking at my final score, the result is merely OK. However, I'm taking away a lot of positives from this round. It really was a fun outing. I've now broken 100 more times in 2014 (six) than I did all of last season (five). Baby steps, for sure, but I've got to start somewhere if I'm to regain my form from three or four years ago.
Score: 94
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
I got paired up with another player, who introduced himself on the first tee. In a strange coincidence, it turns out we had the same first name! I've been paired up with plenty of strangers in the past and that has never happened before. He was a good playing partner – friendly, but not too chatty. He wasn't the greatest golfer, but neither am I, and that's neither here nor there.
I struggled to poor scores on just three of the holes played. One produced a double bogey after I inadvertently picked the ball clean from a greenside bunker. This happens way too often! Another produced a triple bogey after a failed layup attempt on my second shot. I was merely trying to pitch the ball 40 yards ahead and duffed it completely. The conservative play was designed to avoid out of bounds on the right and a large pond on the left. Forced to go for the green after the duff, I managed to find the water. The last of the poor holes produced a quadruple bogey, thanks to a second shot that I blocked with the 6-iron out of bounds.
With all the bad stuff out of the way, let's focus on the good, because there was a lot of it. On the remaining fifteen holes, I registered thirteen bogeys and two pars. My driver was not particularly good, but it didn't get me in trouble. In my practice swings, I was trying to make sure I approached the ball from the inside. I tried to shorten the backswing a little and drop the clubhead to the inside at the start of the downswing. In certain situations (i.e. when there was more room for error) I deliberately went back to my “normal” swing. The result of all this was mixed. I pulled a couple to opposite fairways, while flaring a couple others. I also hit some very nice ones, including one on the par-5 fifth hole and my best of the day on the par-4 tenth.
The real story of the day was my iron play. Kudos to a fellow Deepwoods member for pointing out that I was collapsing the left elbow far too early on almost all of my shots. Since that bit of advice, I made an adjustment and the results have been noticeable. It hasn't helped me with the driver, mind you, but it really has improved the feeling I have with all of the irons – from wedges all the way to 3-iron. With high lofted irons, my accuracy has gotten better. With the long irons, I'm just getting much better contact and ball flight.
At Bushwood, I hit great 5 and 3-iron shots especially. I hit a solid 5-iron into the green on hole #2, followed by a marvellous one on hole #7. This is the #3 handicap hole on the course, a long par-4. From 195 yards in the right rough, I took aim over a spruce tree in the distance. Contact was crisp, the ball got up over the tree quickly, and carried easily over a valley in front of the green. The ball came to rest flag high, a yard off the right edge of the green. Only a lip-out from five feet prevented the par. The 5-iron was also good off the tee on hole #8, a par-3.
Perhaps the most impressive 5-iron shot was my third on hole #9, a par-5. From 180 yards out in the left rough, I absolutely launched one toward the green. I had to start it right to avoid a tree just ahead. The ball was a sky high draw. That's right, a high draw! When I draw the ball, it usually flies fairly low, but this one was spectacular. I overshot the green with it, but I loved the contact and shape of the ball flight. Heck, the 5-iron was even useful on my approach on hole #17. It found a greenside bunker, but once again, it was the contact and high ball flight that I liked.
A few 3-iron shots also deserve mention. One was the tee shot on hole #4, a short par 4 that was playing 290 yards. Iron off the tee is the smart play on this one, but as I've said before, good decision making means nothing if you can't follow up with execution. This time, I did precisely that, with a straight, piercing shot that set up a wedge approach. Another great 3-iron shot was also off the tee – this time on hole #13, which was playing 221 yards. There was a bit of a helping wind and the flag was at the front of the green, so I figured 3-iron was a good choice. I hit a crisp laser, right on line. The ball bounced in front of the green, but rolled past the flag and up a steep ridge before settling near the back of the putting surface. I finished with a 3-putt there, but wasn't perturbed, as the tee shot left me with a good feeling.
I could go on describing good iron shots, but you get the picture. What pleases me most is the fact that all my irons were good. I can recall a great 8-iron from an opposite fairway, another over the edge of some trees that was all over the flag. There was a similar shot over some trees with the gap wedge that found the green, and a great shot with the lob wedge from 85 yards to help save bogey on a hole that started poorly. A great putt helped me that time, and in fact I had good putting almost all day. I registered 31 putts for the round, and that could have been lower as I had three or four near misses for par. As usual, when putting numbers are lower, it's usually because your chipping is pretty good. I messed up the odd chip or pitch shot, but I got up and down a fair number of times.
Looking at my final score, the result is merely OK. However, I'm taking away a lot of positives from this round. It really was a fun outing. I've now broken 100 more times in 2014 (six) than I did all of last season (five). Baby steps, for sure, but I've got to start somewhere if I'm to regain my form from three or four years ago.
Score: 94
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 1
Penalties: 3
July 02, 2014
Canada Day at Hunters Pointe
What better way to spend Canada Day than to golf? Since I couldn't find an answer, I headed out to Hunters Pointe Golf Course, located in Welland, Ontario. I arrived 25 minutes before my tee time and was greeted immediately by the starter in the parking lot. A pair of players was preparing to tee off, but I was free to go ahead of them – if I didn't mind playing alone, that is. Mind? Are you kidding me? I love playing alone! No small talk, no distractions, and complete focus on my own game. It's the closest thing to a Zen experience you can have on the golf course. I was all over that!
With the pair who let me through watching on the tenth tee, and the wind whipping across from left to right, I placed a perfect drive just left of the 150-yard stick. I love when that happens! It's too bad I hit a 9-iron off the heel next, sending the ball into a bunker, still 120 yards from the flag. Good thing the two guys were still back at the tee. My next approach from the bunker was OK, but I caught a greenside bunker just left of target. I made a good out, but still 2-putt for an opening double-bogey. I topped my drive attempt on hole #11, ending up in some nasty fescue. I managed to hack the ball out, only to land in even worse fescue, where the ball was unplayable. I ruined the hole early, en route to a quadruple bogey.
Thankfully, things turned around at that point. I hit a good 6-iron off the tee on hole #12, a 160-yard par-3 that was playing into the wind. My ball was flag high, but in a deep bunker right of the green. I hit my next shot thin, sending it to the fescue on the other side of the green. My next shot was great, but I still needed two putts to finish with double bogey. That's not a great score, but I felt good about my tee shot and the recovery from the fescue. It could have easily been a higher number.
Over the remainder of the back nine, I tallied four pars and two double-bogeys. One of the doubles came on a par-5. I found myself right of the green after three good shots, so really should have had no worse than bogey. I tried the high flopping pitch that worked well for me in my previous round, but sculled it over the green. The other double came on a par-3. This time, I was just left of the green after a good tee shot. I pitched on well, but a 3-putt was my undoing. Despite the shaky results, I was feeling good because those holes included some nice ball striking, which was not easy given the strong winds.
The pars were nice, especially three in a row to close out my opening nine. Hole #16 is a short par-4. I drove the ball to the left side of the fairway, then judged the wind well, just to land on the green in regulation. Hole #17 is the #2 handicap hole at Hunters Pointe, so that was a treat to par. Hole #18 was the best of all. There is a forced carry off the tee on this picturesque par-5. Water lines the entire right side of the hole, then wraps in front of the green, setting up a forced carry on the approach. I hit a driver safely to the left side, followed by a beautiful 5-iron to the middle of the fairway, 100 yards from the flag. My sand wedge got me to the green with a legitimate birdie chance. I didn't make it, but tapped in easily for par.
On my back nine, it was a lot of the same. The wind, which was fierce all day, actually got a little worse. I had trouble keeping my hat on and my ball was blown off the tee at least three times. I even had to factor the wind into my putting! My driving off the tee wasn't spectacular, but I was focused on getting to the ball from the inside. This worked well under the conditions, because it promotes a draw and lower ball flight. I lost a little bit of distance, as I also shortened my swing significantly, but the added control was well worth it. I did not flare or slice a single drive.
The best part was my second shots, with irons in hand. At the last Deepwoods event, where I struggled, my playing partner noticed that I was bending at the left elbow very early in my swing. When he told me that, I made an adjustment and promptly hit my best drive of the day. It didn't help me the rest of that day, but I realized he was right. Since then, I've focused on keeping the left elbow straight during my swing and “finishing down the line.” What a difference it made with my irons at Hunters Pointe! I hit a lot of nice irons, even a couple of long ones than penetrated right into the wind. A 3-iron on hole #2 was the best, travelling 200 yards to set up a birdie chance. Unfortunately, I 3-putt that hole, but I still felt good because of the iron shot.
I had one blowup hole on my second nine – a quadruple bogey on hole #3. My second shot on this par-5 trickled into a water hazard, and I had trouble with a greenside bunker. However, the last six holes of the day produced one par, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. For me, that's good! The way the wind was whipping incessantly, it was excellent. Sometimes, strong wind like that can ruin a round. I remember a number of rounds at Piper's Heath years ago where that was the case. This time, it was actually fun for me. On my last hole of the day, the wind was at my back. Normally, I would hit driver off the tee, finishing in front of a creek that crosses the fairway if everything went well. This time, I took an easy 5-wood and reached the same spot. I was proud of the decision and the execution, not only for that shot, but for many during the round.
On a final note, I broke 100 for the fifth time this year. It took nine rounds to do so. Considering I broke 100 just five times last season, which covered 31 rounds, that's encouraging. Maybe I'm coming back?
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
With the pair who let me through watching on the tenth tee, and the wind whipping across from left to right, I placed a perfect drive just left of the 150-yard stick. I love when that happens! It's too bad I hit a 9-iron off the heel next, sending the ball into a bunker, still 120 yards from the flag. Good thing the two guys were still back at the tee. My next approach from the bunker was OK, but I caught a greenside bunker just left of target. I made a good out, but still 2-putt for an opening double-bogey. I topped my drive attempt on hole #11, ending up in some nasty fescue. I managed to hack the ball out, only to land in even worse fescue, where the ball was unplayable. I ruined the hole early, en route to a quadruple bogey.
Thankfully, things turned around at that point. I hit a good 6-iron off the tee on hole #12, a 160-yard par-3 that was playing into the wind. My ball was flag high, but in a deep bunker right of the green. I hit my next shot thin, sending it to the fescue on the other side of the green. My next shot was great, but I still needed two putts to finish with double bogey. That's not a great score, but I felt good about my tee shot and the recovery from the fescue. It could have easily been a higher number.
Over the remainder of the back nine, I tallied four pars and two double-bogeys. One of the doubles came on a par-5. I found myself right of the green after three good shots, so really should have had no worse than bogey. I tried the high flopping pitch that worked well for me in my previous round, but sculled it over the green. The other double came on a par-3. This time, I was just left of the green after a good tee shot. I pitched on well, but a 3-putt was my undoing. Despite the shaky results, I was feeling good because those holes included some nice ball striking, which was not easy given the strong winds.
The pars were nice, especially three in a row to close out my opening nine. Hole #16 is a short par-4. I drove the ball to the left side of the fairway, then judged the wind well, just to land on the green in regulation. Hole #17 is the #2 handicap hole at Hunters Pointe, so that was a treat to par. Hole #18 was the best of all. There is a forced carry off the tee on this picturesque par-5. Water lines the entire right side of the hole, then wraps in front of the green, setting up a forced carry on the approach. I hit a driver safely to the left side, followed by a beautiful 5-iron to the middle of the fairway, 100 yards from the flag. My sand wedge got me to the green with a legitimate birdie chance. I didn't make it, but tapped in easily for par.
On my back nine, it was a lot of the same. The wind, which was fierce all day, actually got a little worse. I had trouble keeping my hat on and my ball was blown off the tee at least three times. I even had to factor the wind into my putting! My driving off the tee wasn't spectacular, but I was focused on getting to the ball from the inside. This worked well under the conditions, because it promotes a draw and lower ball flight. I lost a little bit of distance, as I also shortened my swing significantly, but the added control was well worth it. I did not flare or slice a single drive.
The best part was my second shots, with irons in hand. At the last Deepwoods event, where I struggled, my playing partner noticed that I was bending at the left elbow very early in my swing. When he told me that, I made an adjustment and promptly hit my best drive of the day. It didn't help me the rest of that day, but I realized he was right. Since then, I've focused on keeping the left elbow straight during my swing and “finishing down the line.” What a difference it made with my irons at Hunters Pointe! I hit a lot of nice irons, even a couple of long ones than penetrated right into the wind. A 3-iron on hole #2 was the best, travelling 200 yards to set up a birdie chance. Unfortunately, I 3-putt that hole, but I still felt good because of the iron shot.
I had one blowup hole on my second nine – a quadruple bogey on hole #3. My second shot on this par-5 trickled into a water hazard, and I had trouble with a greenside bunker. However, the last six holes of the day produced one par, four bogeys, and a double-bogey. For me, that's good! The way the wind was whipping incessantly, it was excellent. Sometimes, strong wind like that can ruin a round. I remember a number of rounds at Piper's Heath years ago where that was the case. This time, it was actually fun for me. On my last hole of the day, the wind was at my back. Normally, I would hit driver off the tee, finishing in front of a creek that crosses the fairway if everything went well. This time, I took an easy 5-wood and reached the same spot. I was proud of the decision and the execution, not only for that shot, but for many during the round.
On a final note, I broke 100 for the fifth time this year. It took nine rounds to do so. Considering I broke 100 just five times last season, which covered 31 rounds, that's encouraging. Maybe I'm coming back?
Score: 96
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 2
Saving Face at Lowville
OK, so my latest round of golf was played at Lowville Golf Club, in Burlington. I sliced my opening drive into the knee-high weeds, as it seems I've done in all of my recent visits there. I found the ball and managed to hack it out, but just barely, en route to a double bogey. After a perfect drive on hole #2, I hit a 9-iron off the heel, well left of the green. I did well to bump the ball under a tree and into a mound fronting the green to escape with bogey. Bogey was also the result on hole #3, a par-3. After three holes, things were looking OK.
Unfortunately, I took a triple bogey on the next hole, a par-5. My trouble came off the tee, when I pulled one into the woods. I found the ball and punched back to open space, but wasn't precise the rest of the way and also finished with a 3-putt. This was followed by double-bogey on the next two holes, the second of which was more disappointing, because I needed a chip and three putts to close out a hole that started out promising. After six holes, things were looking decidedly worse.
Luckily, I tallied two pars and a bogey to close out the front nine. Hole #7, an uphill par-5 was especially satisfying. I hit driver, 5-wood, managing to get the ball flag-high after two shots. My chip was mediocre and my birdie putt just missed, but I was still pleased. Hole #9 was a textbook par that also felt very good. A group of young guys let me and my partner play through on this hole, so it was great to have that success with a little audience watching. I split the fairway off the tee and nailed the green with my approach. After a lag and a tap-in, I recorded a 48 for the front nine. Back on track.
The back nine started out as a bogey fest, with the exception of hole #11, where I registered triple bogey. My second shot found a greenside bunker and my typical bunker problems surfaced. I caught my first attempt thin, but a high lip kept the ball in the hazard. My next attempt was fat, barely getting out. A chip and two putts finished things off. The triple was offset by five bogeys on the back nine through Hole #15. One shot that was working for me was the high flopping pitch shot. With the 60 degree wedge slightly open, I was able to swing aggressively, without decelerating the club. I produced some great shots, even when I had little green to work with. The best was on hole #12, a par-5. I was in a bit of trouble, but that one helped me get up and down nicely.
I had a bit of a debacle on hole #16, a long, uphill par-4. I pulled my tee shot into a bunker. Though the ball was in the bunker, I had to take my stance outside of it. The ball was well below my feet, which were planted in knee-high weeds. The weeds just managed to grab hold of my club when I swung. I was only able to get the ball to the flat part of the bunker. Unfortunately, I clipped the lip of the bunker on my next shot, then hooked one into the woods left of the green. When all was said and done, I tallied a quadruple bogey.
I double bogeyed the last two holes and was a little surprised when my final score turned out to be 99. I thought I had more wiggle room to avoid the dreaded century mark. Perhaps it was good that I didn't know, otherwise I may have tensed up and really blown up. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. There were some problems, for sure, but there were enough good shots to make the round enjoyable.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
Unfortunately, I took a triple bogey on the next hole, a par-5. My trouble came off the tee, when I pulled one into the woods. I found the ball and punched back to open space, but wasn't precise the rest of the way and also finished with a 3-putt. This was followed by double-bogey on the next two holes, the second of which was more disappointing, because I needed a chip and three putts to close out a hole that started out promising. After six holes, things were looking decidedly worse.
Luckily, I tallied two pars and a bogey to close out the front nine. Hole #7, an uphill par-5 was especially satisfying. I hit driver, 5-wood, managing to get the ball flag-high after two shots. My chip was mediocre and my birdie putt just missed, but I was still pleased. Hole #9 was a textbook par that also felt very good. A group of young guys let me and my partner play through on this hole, so it was great to have that success with a little audience watching. I split the fairway off the tee and nailed the green with my approach. After a lag and a tap-in, I recorded a 48 for the front nine. Back on track.
The back nine started out as a bogey fest, with the exception of hole #11, where I registered triple bogey. My second shot found a greenside bunker and my typical bunker problems surfaced. I caught my first attempt thin, but a high lip kept the ball in the hazard. My next attempt was fat, barely getting out. A chip and two putts finished things off. The triple was offset by five bogeys on the back nine through Hole #15. One shot that was working for me was the high flopping pitch shot. With the 60 degree wedge slightly open, I was able to swing aggressively, without decelerating the club. I produced some great shots, even when I had little green to work with. The best was on hole #12, a par-5. I was in a bit of trouble, but that one helped me get up and down nicely.
I had a bit of a debacle on hole #16, a long, uphill par-4. I pulled my tee shot into a bunker. Though the ball was in the bunker, I had to take my stance outside of it. The ball was well below my feet, which were planted in knee-high weeds. The weeds just managed to grab hold of my club when I swung. I was only able to get the ball to the flat part of the bunker. Unfortunately, I clipped the lip of the bunker on my next shot, then hooked one into the woods left of the green. When all was said and done, I tallied a quadruple bogey.
I double bogeyed the last two holes and was a little surprised when my final score turned out to be 99. I thought I had more wiggle room to avoid the dreaded century mark. Perhaps it was good that I didn't know, otherwise I may have tensed up and really blown up. Overall, I was satisfied with the round. There were some problems, for sure, but there were enough good shots to make the round enjoyable.
Score: 99
Putts: 35
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
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