What a game! One minute you're high, the next minute you're low. Golf really is a sport that throws everything at you. A week ago, I was feeling good about matching my best score of the last three seasons. Two days later, I was down in the dumps over a poor result leading up to a Deepwoods event. Two days after that, and the Deepwoods event goes off like a charm, producing a new best score over the last three seasons.
The round was played at Dragon's Fire Golf Club, marking my first return visit to a course this year. I had played there three weeks earlier, in something of a warm up for the Deepwoods competition. The practice round did not go well at all, so this latest result feels like retribution. I scored a respectable 89, which is my lowest score since an 83 in Sepember 2011, also at a Deepwoods event. More importantly, I earned the maximum available 40 points for the Deepwoods championship. I almost certainly won't win the title this year, but my performance gave me a mathematical chance going into the final event of the year.
So how did I do it? Basically, my percentage of good shots went up, while I virtually eliminated mis-hits. With increased accuracy, I hit more fairways and greens in regulation. My chips and putts were good, though not unlike a typical round. I also took a fair number of penalty strokes, as usual. My game management was excellent, which I'll highlight by describing a couple of key situations.
Hole 1 – Par 4. I hook two consecutive drives into the trees left. I hit my fifth shot flag high, left of the green. A mediocre chip and two putts finish things off for a quadruple bogey. I put it behind me and move on.
Hole 2 – Par 3. I pull hook a 7-iron flag high, but well left of the green. I flop one over a large bunker, releasing well past the hole to take no chances. A beautiful long breaking putt stops on the lip of the cup. Bogey tap in.
Hole 3 – Par 4. I drive one into the right fairway bunker. Pitching wedge makes good contact, but I come up 15 yards short of the green. Chip shot goes past the hole more than I want and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 4 – Par 4. I open the club face on the drive and finish down the line, finding the middle of the fairway. From 100 yards, the ball carries a greenside bunker, right at a tucked pin position. Just miss birdie, settle for par.
Hole 5 – Par 4. Decent drive runs through the left fairway and stops one foot in the fescue, just three yards from the fairway edge. Third shot hits the green, but I'm 100 feet from the hole and 3-putt for double bogey.
Hole 6 – Par 4. I choose 5-wood off the tee and split the middle of the fairway. From 130 yards, pitching wedge sails over a greenside bunker, directly in line with the flag. I barely miss the birdie and tap in for par.
Hole 7 – Par 5. I drive the ball into a fairway bunker on the right. Pitching wedge gets me out safely, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge catches a tad fat and comes up short. A beautiful chip and 1-putt salvage par.
Hole 8 – Par 5. I drive the ball to the left fairway. Next, an easy 3-iron drifts right of target into a cluster of trees. I have a good lie and swing, with an opening to an area in front of the green. Decent chip and two putts for bogey.
Hole 9 – Par 3. I pull hook an 8-iron flag high, but well left and up on a hillside. From the downslope, I flop a large bunker, landing on the green edge and releasing to within 10 feet. Downhill putt misses and I take bogey.
Shooting 46 at the turn, with 19 Deepwoods points.
Hole 10 – Par 4. Spectacular drive skirts the right edge of some bunkers and I get a lot of roll, leaving just 120 yards to the flag. Gap wedge finishes on the green, below the hole. Routine 2-putt earns a nice par.
Hole 11 – Par 4. Great drive goes deep, running a yard past the left edge of the fairway on this dogleg right. From just 90 yards, the lob wedge finds the green, but leaves some work. A good 2-putt produces par.
Hole 12 – Par 3. Slight pull off the tee with the gap wedge misses the green left by three yards. Ball hits an embankment and gets kicked into the fescue. After a penalty and chip, two putts are only good for double bogey.
Hole 13 – Par 5. Deep, straight drive finishes 4 yards short of the longest drive winner. 5-iron takes me to the left fairway, 130 yards from the hole. I'm blocked out by trees, so I wisely punch to the right, just short of the green. Poor bump and run catches a sliver of rough and stops the ball completely, leading to a 3-putt and double bogey.
Hole 14 – Par 3. Conscious of earlier hooks, I push a 7-iron flag-high, but in a bunker right. I get out of the sand safely, but I'm a mile past the hole. Excellent long lag putt leaves an easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 15 – Par 4. The green is drivable, at 245 yards. An easy swing is right on line and nails the green, flag-high. I study the downhill breaker and make a good attempt at eagle, but am left with and make a 1 foot putt for birdie.
Hole 16 – Par 5. Decent drive runs through the fairway left and trickles into the trees in the absence of any real rough. After a penalty, a low shot catches a fairway bunker on the left. Mis-hit fails to reach the green, but the ball does squirt out into the fairway. From there, I nail the green. A mediocre lag leaves a tricky final putt, but I make it for double bogey and, more importantly, save one point for Deepwoods. It was a clutch putt.
Hole 17 – Par 3. Gap wedge is perfectly on line, but comes up short due to a headwind. This leaves a lengthy uphill birdie putt. I make a great effort, but it doesn't drop, so I settle for par. Still very good.
Hole 18 – Par 5. I wisely pick a target on the left half of the fairway and steer my drive there with a low cut. 220 yards from the green, I wisely half swing with the 5-iron to roll one to the 100-yard stick. Next, I scull a sand wedge, sending the ball to a back bunker. No problem, I hit a great out from the bunker and 2-putt for bogey.
Lots to like there. I'm satisfied.
Score: 89
Putts: 37
Fairways: 8
Greens: 6
Penalties: 5
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