I've spent all year trying to get my handicap factor back into the teens. Progress was steady, but I stalled precisely when my handicap hit 20.0 after a round at Glen Eagle Golf Club. Six rounds later, it has now inched back up to 21.0, thanks to a series of mediocre results. Consider my last four rounds: 101 at The Country Club, 99 at Willodell, 101 at Mill Run, and 99 at Hidden Lake. The vast majority of my scores this year have been between 89 and 101; I'm not going to improve my handicap by testing the upper end of this range.
Things started out fairly promising on the Old Course at Hidden Lake. I bogeyed the opening hole, after finding the fairway with my drive and a greenside bunker with my approach. I made a decent out on my only bunker shot of the day, and almost saved par. My first actual par of the day was on hole #5, a par-5 that was playing 519 yards. At that point, I was 6 over through five holes. My second par of the day came on hole #9, after I split the fairway with my drive and nailed the green with my approach. I shot 46 on the front nine, or 11 over.
A similar pace on the back nine would get me to the low nineties, but I opened the back side with three consecutive double-bogeys. I felt like I was just hanging on, and sure enough, disaster finally struck. Beginning with hole #13, I made a triple-bogey, double, and triple to effectively ruin any chance of a good score. I actually did well to finish the last three holes at bogey pace and salvage a sub-100 round.
So what went wrong? To start with, I gave away too many strokes with the lob wedge in my hand. On six occasions, I failed to pitch the ball anywhere near my target. On four of these, I made decent swings, but the club face slid right under the ball. A couple of these were from tight lies in the fairway! How does that happen? On one occasion, I didn't follow through on my swing, while on another, I straight up shanked one. All I can think of, is that I may have played most of those shots with the club face too open.
When I made triple-bogey on hole #13, I also got unlucky. My drive was a weak slice that missed the fairway right, but stayed in bounds. I tried punching a 4-iron under some tree branches toward the green, and I made great contact, but I smacked one of the lower branches and the ball came backwards, albeit to the other side of the fairway. Another 4-iron punch ensued, and that too, struck a branch and came backwards, back to the right side. With trees still in my way, I kept the next shot really, really low and rolled one to the fairway, 50 yards from the green. I hacked a lot of trees on that hole, but the punishment was more severe than I really deserved.
My other triple was on hole #15, and it was all due to a horrific tee shot. This hole does not set up well for me at all. The drive is through a chute to a fairway that slopes sharply from left to right. The right side is a lateral hazard, although there is a waste bunker that catches most balls before they cross the red stakes. The trees left and just forward of the teeing ground are so close that right handed players cannot hit a cut or fade. You must hit a draw. I had too many thoughts and tried to do too much, catching the ball on the heel of the club and smacking the dreaded “Vince trees” dead on. It was simply unfortunate that I got into a troublesome period just before playing this hole.
I really need a sub-90 round to get back on track, but the season is coming to a close quickly.
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
September 28, 2014
September 23, 2014
Run of the Mill Result
My latest round of golf was at Mill Run Golf Club – a place I hadn't visited since 2009. I shot a 95 back then, playing the Grist and Wheel nines. This time around, I played the Grind / Grist combination. It's the same combination I played back in 2007, when I shot a ridiculous total of 112. That round featured a score of 69 on Grind – to this day, I believe that remains my worst ever score for nine holes of golf. I followed up with a very respectable 43 on Grist, in a true Jekyll and Hyde performance. This round featured a similar pattern, though the disparity between Grind and Grist was less pronounced.
I booked my tee time almost a week earlier, when the forecast was calling for cold weather all of this week. As it turned out, I got burned. It was indeed cold and windy when I played, but the updated forecast for the rest of the week now features some very nice temperatures.
I hit a pretty good drive on Grind #1, leaving just 105 yards to an elevated green. Unfortunately, I was just left of the fairway on the side of a mound. Adding to the poor lie / stance, was a cluster of trees pinching in on the left side. It was too much to contend with and I advanced the ball only 40 yards or so into a bunker. With 60 yards to the green, I tried to hit ball first, but caught a bit of sand and failed to reach the putting surface. Eventually, I did manage to finish with a nice putt for double-bogey.
Grind #2 is a par-5, with water protecting the green short and right. I hit three decent shots to reach a greenside bunker, left of the green. Unfortunately, my bunker problems reared their ugly head and I sculled one over the green. Again, double-bogey was the result. At this point, all of my trouble had come with wedges in my hand.
Grind #3 was my best hole of the day. This is a sharp dogleg left, with a bunker and large tree protecting the inside corner. I piped a drive deep and to the right of the tree, finishing in the middle of the fairway, 95 yards from the green. With the lob wedge, I placed the ball on the proper tier of the green. I had a good attempt at birdie, but just missed and settled for par.
At this point, my game collapsed. Two factors contributed to my demise. The first was an inability to hit an iron properly from the teeing ground on a par-3. I discussed this after my previous round and it bit me again on Grind #4. Protecting against a hook, I sculled one short and well right of target. The ball was in the woods, but I had an opening to the green. I was surprised how cleanly my ball came out, as it sailed right over the green, into more woods. This time, I had almost no backswing and could only get the ball a couple of yards off the green collar. I would finish the hole with a triple-bogey.
The second factor was wildness with the driver. After my round at The Country Club, I decided it was necessary to take more of a draw swing. I feared this might produce some mis-hits, but in fact, it worked very well at my subsequent round at Willodell. However, it caught up to me at this round, beginning with Grind #5. I sliced one deep into the woods on this short par-4. Even though I found the ball and successfully pitched back to the fairway, it set me on course for another triple-bogey.
On Grind 6, 8, and 9, I hit all my drives weakly off the heel of the club. I recovered on #6 to save bogey, but had no chance for recovery on the others. In both cases, the ball was lost and I had to hit my third from the tee. Another pair of triple-bogeys ensued. These were the only penalty strokes of the day, but they were costly, as I completed Grind and made the turn with an ugly score of 55.
I'm happy to say that I played much better on Grist. I still had some weak drives that were struck low on the club face and barely made it to 200 yards. At this point, I was “searching” with the driver for something that would work. It's a terrible feeling – like being thrown into the water when you don't know how to swim. Luckily, my last two drives of the day were good ones. I slowed myself down, practised the draw swing deliberately, and then took a committed shot.
I continued to struggle with par-3 tee shots, though. Mind you, the par-3 holes on Grist are nothing to sneeze at. There are three of them, measuring 212, 194, and 190 yards, respectively. My only good tee shot was on the last of these. The other ones were garbage, requiring good recovery shots. In the end, I scored 46 on Grist, with one par, five bogeys and three doubles.
Score: 101
Putts: 36
Fairways: 1
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
I booked my tee time almost a week earlier, when the forecast was calling for cold weather all of this week. As it turned out, I got burned. It was indeed cold and windy when I played, but the updated forecast for the rest of the week now features some very nice temperatures.
I hit a pretty good drive on Grind #1, leaving just 105 yards to an elevated green. Unfortunately, I was just left of the fairway on the side of a mound. Adding to the poor lie / stance, was a cluster of trees pinching in on the left side. It was too much to contend with and I advanced the ball only 40 yards or so into a bunker. With 60 yards to the green, I tried to hit ball first, but caught a bit of sand and failed to reach the putting surface. Eventually, I did manage to finish with a nice putt for double-bogey.
Grind #2 is a par-5, with water protecting the green short and right. I hit three decent shots to reach a greenside bunker, left of the green. Unfortunately, my bunker problems reared their ugly head and I sculled one over the green. Again, double-bogey was the result. At this point, all of my trouble had come with wedges in my hand.
Grind #3 was my best hole of the day. This is a sharp dogleg left, with a bunker and large tree protecting the inside corner. I piped a drive deep and to the right of the tree, finishing in the middle of the fairway, 95 yards from the green. With the lob wedge, I placed the ball on the proper tier of the green. I had a good attempt at birdie, but just missed and settled for par.
At this point, my game collapsed. Two factors contributed to my demise. The first was an inability to hit an iron properly from the teeing ground on a par-3. I discussed this after my previous round and it bit me again on Grind #4. Protecting against a hook, I sculled one short and well right of target. The ball was in the woods, but I had an opening to the green. I was surprised how cleanly my ball came out, as it sailed right over the green, into more woods. This time, I had almost no backswing and could only get the ball a couple of yards off the green collar. I would finish the hole with a triple-bogey.
The second factor was wildness with the driver. After my round at The Country Club, I decided it was necessary to take more of a draw swing. I feared this might produce some mis-hits, but in fact, it worked very well at my subsequent round at Willodell. However, it caught up to me at this round, beginning with Grind #5. I sliced one deep into the woods on this short par-4. Even though I found the ball and successfully pitched back to the fairway, it set me on course for another triple-bogey.
On Grind 6, 8, and 9, I hit all my drives weakly off the heel of the club. I recovered on #6 to save bogey, but had no chance for recovery on the others. In both cases, the ball was lost and I had to hit my third from the tee. Another pair of triple-bogeys ensued. These were the only penalty strokes of the day, but they were costly, as I completed Grind and made the turn with an ugly score of 55.
I'm happy to say that I played much better on Grist. I still had some weak drives that were struck low on the club face and barely made it to 200 yards. At this point, I was “searching” with the driver for something that would work. It's a terrible feeling – like being thrown into the water when you don't know how to swim. Luckily, my last two drives of the day were good ones. I slowed myself down, practised the draw swing deliberately, and then took a committed shot.
I continued to struggle with par-3 tee shots, though. Mind you, the par-3 holes on Grist are nothing to sneeze at. There are three of them, measuring 212, 194, and 190 yards, respectively. My only good tee shot was on the last of these. The other ones were garbage, requiring good recovery shots. In the end, I scored 46 on Grist, with one par, five bogeys and three doubles.
Score: 101
Putts: 36
Fairways: 1
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
September 19, 2014
Will-o-Hell
In just my second return visit to a golf course this season, I decided to play Willodell Golf Club of Niagara. I shot a 91 there earlier this year, which is my second best score of the season. Last year, I fired a 93 on my first ever visit there, which ended up being my best of the 2013 season. The course has a pretty typical rating and slope, but it gives you a safe option on almost every hole and often a chance to recover from wayward shots. I was looking to go low – breaking 90 was definitely on my mind. The season is coming to a close and there will be few opportunities to get my handicap factor back into the teens.
So, how did it go? Well, I didn't title this post “Will-o-Hell” for nothing. It was a pleasant day and I enjoyed playing, but the result was not what I was looking for. I shot a very unremarkable 99 and my handicap factor inched up by another tenth of a point.
The good news is that I adjusted my play with the driver, and it worked out pretty well. In recent rounds, I had been playing a baby cut. At first, it gave me a lot of consistency. This came at the expense of distance, but I didn't mind, as I had some to spare. Over time, the loss of distance became more pronounced, until it finally became a problem. At Willodell, I committed to taking more of a draw swing. The risk was that I would have some complete mis-hits, but that didn't happen. On a couple of occasions, I over-cooked the draw, ending up in the left rough. However, I simply dialed it back a little the next time around and hit some lovely shots. I feared making the adjustment, but in the end, I had all of my control, along with a return of my normal distance.
The real problem on the day was with my irons – not those hit from the deck, but those hit off the tee. Willodell features five par-3 holes, so good irons off the tee are a must to score well. Unfortunately, I registered two double-bogeys, a triple, and two quads over those holes. Early on, I hooked a 7-iron, duffed a 4-iron, and hooked an 8-iron. Later on, my attempts to fix the issue resulted in another pair of duffed 8-irons. This disparity between iron shots from the deck versus the tee is something I have been aware of for a long time. I thought it was a mental issue (i.e. getting excited over a nicely teed up ball, with the green so tantalizingly within reach) but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just forgo the tee next time and simply place the ball directly on the teeing ground. I've done that in the past, but the last time was many years ago.
I did manage a birdie on the day, thanks to an excellent second shot on hole #15, a 387-yard par-4. My drive was just left of the fairway, offering the best angle into the green. From 120 yards, I opted for a half swing with the 8-iron. This is something I've been using with some success lately. I seem to have more control over the line with that type of swing than I do with a full swing wedge. My ball landed just in front of the green and rolled right up to the pin, less than a foot away. Tap-in birdies are awesome!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
So, how did it go? Well, I didn't title this post “Will-o-Hell” for nothing. It was a pleasant day and I enjoyed playing, but the result was not what I was looking for. I shot a very unremarkable 99 and my handicap factor inched up by another tenth of a point.
The good news is that I adjusted my play with the driver, and it worked out pretty well. In recent rounds, I had been playing a baby cut. At first, it gave me a lot of consistency. This came at the expense of distance, but I didn't mind, as I had some to spare. Over time, the loss of distance became more pronounced, until it finally became a problem. At Willodell, I committed to taking more of a draw swing. The risk was that I would have some complete mis-hits, but that didn't happen. On a couple of occasions, I over-cooked the draw, ending up in the left rough. However, I simply dialed it back a little the next time around and hit some lovely shots. I feared making the adjustment, but in the end, I had all of my control, along with a return of my normal distance.
The real problem on the day was with my irons – not those hit from the deck, but those hit off the tee. Willodell features five par-3 holes, so good irons off the tee are a must to score well. Unfortunately, I registered two double-bogeys, a triple, and two quads over those holes. Early on, I hooked a 7-iron, duffed a 4-iron, and hooked an 8-iron. Later on, my attempts to fix the issue resulted in another pair of duffed 8-irons. This disparity between iron shots from the deck versus the tee is something I have been aware of for a long time. I thought it was a mental issue (i.e. getting excited over a nicely teed up ball, with the green so tantalizingly within reach) but now I'm not so sure. Maybe I should just forgo the tee next time and simply place the ball directly on the teeing ground. I've done that in the past, but the last time was many years ago.
I did manage a birdie on the day, thanks to an excellent second shot on hole #15, a 387-yard par-4. My drive was just left of the fairway, offering the best angle into the green. From 120 yards, I opted for a half swing with the 8-iron. This is something I've been using with some success lately. I seem to have more control over the line with that type of swing than I do with a full swing wedge. My ball landed just in front of the green and rolled right up to the pin, less than a foot away. Tap-in birdies are awesome!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 3
September 15, 2014
Slick Greens at The Country Club
Despite playing most of my golf with strangers, I usually enjoy myself thoroughly. However, nothing beats playing a round with your buddies. So it was for my latest outing on the West Course at The Country Club. Fall weather arrived within the last week and this was my first round played under cool conditions. These rounds have to be savoured, as it won't be long before the season comes to a close.
I had played the West Course at The Country Club once before, but it was seven years ago. I was absolutely slaughtered on that occasion. I took at least a dozen penalties, especially on the front nine, as I seemed to find water hazards at every opportunity. I also remember that the greens were very sloped and undulating. Looking back at my records, I collected 37 putts on that day. I could have sworn it was more than that. One thing is certain – none of the putts made was from outside more than a couple of feet.
I'm happy to say that I solved the water hazard and penalty stroke problem this time around. In fact, I recorded just one penalty stroke for the entire round – it came after pulling my tee shot on hole #6, a 166-yard par-3, into a creek. I've only had one penalty-free round this year, and usually tally three or more per outing, so this was a good result. Unfortunately, my game slipped in other areas, and the net result was one of my poorer scores.
One area that slipped was general consistency with the irons. I hit a lot of good irons – some even felt spectacular. A 7-iron from the fairway on hole #1, a 4-iron off the tee on hole #3, another 7-iron into the green on hole #5, and another 4-iron into the green on hole #8 all come to mind as examples on the front nine. There were more on the back nine, but best of all were my second and third shots on hole #18, a par-5. An absolutely pure 6-iron from the fairway left me 110 yards away from the flag for my approach, and another pure shot with the gap wedge gave me a birdie chance. I pushed the putt slightly, but tapped in for a good par.
As good as these iron shots were, there were other wasted ones. A couple of fat shots contributed to a quadruple bogey on hole #2. Two successive fat shots wasted an excellent drive on hole #4. A pitch attempt from 50 yards on hole #13 came up just short of the green. Worst of all were a couple of shots on hole #17, a long, uphill par-4. In one case, the ball was well above my feet on a sharp mound, while the other was a sand wedge shot from 100 yards that slid right under the ball. I pulled a couple of irons, but those didn't really bother me. It was the duffs that were really costly.
The other area that slipped, despite my previous experience at the course, was putting. I had a 4-putt on hole #2, along with a trio of 3-putts on the front nine alone. On all of these occasions, I was putting from above the hole and blasted the ball way past the target. The greens were the fastest I've played this year, so I wasn't used to them. Combined with the degree of slope on all of them, it was a recipe for disaster. I made 17 putts on the back nine, so I was able to adjust, but didn't do so quickly enough. With a total of 40 putts for the round, I matched my worst putting performance of the year.
Finally, there was one other area of concern. In recent rounds, I have been playing a baby cut, or fade, with the driver. This fits a little better with my natural swing, and as a result, I achieved significantly greater control over my drives. The tradeoff was a reduction in distance. I didn't mind so much, as I still had enough distance to attack par-4 holes with a reasonably lofted club. However, as is often the case, an adjustment that initially helped began to actually hinder my game. My drives got shorter and shorter, until they began to be a liability.
At The Country Club, I hit some drives that were literally only 200 yards. I was in the fairway, but far from the hole. Worst was when I trickled a yard into the rough. From the fairway, I could get those longer shots to the green, but with the added loft required to escape the rough, I could only get to within pitching range. It's time to swing the pendulum back closer to my previous swing. There is the danger of reduced control, but it must be done.
Also in recent rounds, I was setting up my iron shots with a more open club face at address. It did wonders to eliminate the low hooks that I was hitting previously. I was producing straight, high shots that were lovely. However, recent misses have been shots that flare slightly right and come up short. Again, the pendulum has moved too far in one direction and it's time to dial it back.
Score: 101
Putts: 40
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
I had played the West Course at The Country Club once before, but it was seven years ago. I was absolutely slaughtered on that occasion. I took at least a dozen penalties, especially on the front nine, as I seemed to find water hazards at every opportunity. I also remember that the greens were very sloped and undulating. Looking back at my records, I collected 37 putts on that day. I could have sworn it was more than that. One thing is certain – none of the putts made was from outside more than a couple of feet.
I'm happy to say that I solved the water hazard and penalty stroke problem this time around. In fact, I recorded just one penalty stroke for the entire round – it came after pulling my tee shot on hole #6, a 166-yard par-3, into a creek. I've only had one penalty-free round this year, and usually tally three or more per outing, so this was a good result. Unfortunately, my game slipped in other areas, and the net result was one of my poorer scores.
One area that slipped was general consistency with the irons. I hit a lot of good irons – some even felt spectacular. A 7-iron from the fairway on hole #1, a 4-iron off the tee on hole #3, another 7-iron into the green on hole #5, and another 4-iron into the green on hole #8 all come to mind as examples on the front nine. There were more on the back nine, but best of all were my second and third shots on hole #18, a par-5. An absolutely pure 6-iron from the fairway left me 110 yards away from the flag for my approach, and another pure shot with the gap wedge gave me a birdie chance. I pushed the putt slightly, but tapped in for a good par.
As good as these iron shots were, there were other wasted ones. A couple of fat shots contributed to a quadruple bogey on hole #2. Two successive fat shots wasted an excellent drive on hole #4. A pitch attempt from 50 yards on hole #13 came up just short of the green. Worst of all were a couple of shots on hole #17, a long, uphill par-4. In one case, the ball was well above my feet on a sharp mound, while the other was a sand wedge shot from 100 yards that slid right under the ball. I pulled a couple of irons, but those didn't really bother me. It was the duffs that were really costly.
The other area that slipped, despite my previous experience at the course, was putting. I had a 4-putt on hole #2, along with a trio of 3-putts on the front nine alone. On all of these occasions, I was putting from above the hole and blasted the ball way past the target. The greens were the fastest I've played this year, so I wasn't used to them. Combined with the degree of slope on all of them, it was a recipe for disaster. I made 17 putts on the back nine, so I was able to adjust, but didn't do so quickly enough. With a total of 40 putts for the round, I matched my worst putting performance of the year.
Finally, there was one other area of concern. In recent rounds, I have been playing a baby cut, or fade, with the driver. This fits a little better with my natural swing, and as a result, I achieved significantly greater control over my drives. The tradeoff was a reduction in distance. I didn't mind so much, as I still had enough distance to attack par-4 holes with a reasonably lofted club. However, as is often the case, an adjustment that initially helped began to actually hinder my game. My drives got shorter and shorter, until they began to be a liability.
At The Country Club, I hit some drives that were literally only 200 yards. I was in the fairway, but far from the hole. Worst was when I trickled a yard into the rough. From the fairway, I could get those longer shots to the green, but with the added loft required to escape the rough, I could only get to within pitching range. It's time to swing the pendulum back closer to my previous swing. There is the danger of reduced control, but it must be done.
Also in recent rounds, I was setting up my iron shots with a more open club face at address. It did wonders to eliminate the low hooks that I was hitting previously. I was producing straight, high shots that were lovely. However, recent misses have been shots that flare slightly right and come up short. Again, the pendulum has moved too far in one direction and it's time to dial it back.
Score: 101
Putts: 40
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 1
September 10, 2014
First Experience at Caledon
I like to try new courses every now and then. There are relatively few public courses in the Golden Horseshoe area that I haven't played, so it's always nice to experience something different. For my latest round, I headed to the virgin territory of Caledon Country Club. The course features a lot of elevation changes, with a couple of short holes and a couple of sharp doglegs that can greatly lengthen the holes. Mature trees pinch in on some holes, while others are largely wide open. Conditioning was good on the day I played.
Over the first eight holes, I was in complete control. I made par on the opening hole, a short par-4 that dares you to drive the green. I had the same result on holes #4 and #6 – a pair of contrasting par-5 holes. The first is a gradual uphill that bends to the left, while the second is dead straight and all downhill. I hit 4-iron, 7-iron, 7-iron to reach the green on #4, while hitting driver, 3-iron and a chip with the 8-iron to reach the green on #6. I also made par on hole #7, a pretty straightforward par-4. The green can be tricky, but I had no trouble.
The rest of this stretch produced three bogeys and a double. The bogey on hole #3 was actually fantastic. Thick trees line both sides of a narrow fairway, with a creek adding more trouble down the left side. I pulled my driver ever so slightly, into the creek. After taking a penalty and drop, I was 170 yards from the flag, in the left rough. I hit a beautiful 6-iron that bounced through the green opening and cozied up just below the hole. I missed the 6-footer for par, but was satisfied with bogey.
Hole #9 gave me trouble, for no real reason. It is one of the short par-4 holes, at just 269 yards from the white tees. One can lay up to the end of the fairway – a shot of about 120 yards – and then go for the green from 150 yards over the creek. Alternately, one can drive over the creek – a carry of about 180 yards – which shouldn't be a problem. I opted to carry the creek, but opened the club face badly and flared the ball way to the right. The ball was lost in the area marked as a hazard, so I had to take a penalty and drop. That would be fine, except I proceeded to shank my next shot with the pitching wedge. My next shot landed awkwardly in a greenside bunker. I got out, but was far from the hole and 3-putt for a quadruple-bogey. What a disaster!
Over the next three holes, I got back on track, recording a trio of bogeys. Hole #10 plays long if you are unable to hook your tee shot, which is exactly what happened to me. For that reason, I was more than content with bogey. My real trouble began on hole #13, a relatively easy par-4. I pushed my drive well right, finishing behind a spruce tree, 150 yards from the flag. I tried a hook shot to avoid trees further ahead and get back to in front of the green, but my ball barely got past another spruce tree. I was only 30 yards from the green, but branches took away any backswing I had. I was only able to squirt the ball ahead a few yards. Unfortunately, I duffed the next pitch attempt, landing in a large bunker. Next, I rolled off the back of the green, chipped on, and 2-putt for my second quad of the day.
Of the remaining five holes, three were played reasonably well, producing two bogeys and a par. The two that were played poorly were par-5 holes, resulting in a pair of triple-bogeys. One of these was hole #14, the signature hole at Caledon. Teeing off from atop a huge cliff, one can either carry the corner of the sharp dogleg left with driver or aim further right with less club. I took a good line, but caught the ball thin. Without any of the necessary elevation, the ball found the woods on the inside corner of the dogleg. That area is a lateral hazard, so I was able to drop my ball nearby, but the rest of the hole is no picnic from that position. You still have to get around the corner and it's a long, long way to the green. I hit three good shots in a row to reach the green in five, but then 3-putt.
My problem on the other par-5, which is hole #17, was another flared drive attempt over a creek. I have been playing a slight cut with my drives recently, giving up some distance for a lot more control. However, as is usually the case, something that helps me eventually strays too far and starts to become a problem. I think I reached that point at Caledon, so I may have to adjust to more of a draw swing on my drives moving forward. The danger, of course, is that I will overdo it. We shall see.
Score: 96
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
Over the first eight holes, I was in complete control. I made par on the opening hole, a short par-4 that dares you to drive the green. I had the same result on holes #4 and #6 – a pair of contrasting par-5 holes. The first is a gradual uphill that bends to the left, while the second is dead straight and all downhill. I hit 4-iron, 7-iron, 7-iron to reach the green on #4, while hitting driver, 3-iron and a chip with the 8-iron to reach the green on #6. I also made par on hole #7, a pretty straightforward par-4. The green can be tricky, but I had no trouble.
The rest of this stretch produced three bogeys and a double. The bogey on hole #3 was actually fantastic. Thick trees line both sides of a narrow fairway, with a creek adding more trouble down the left side. I pulled my driver ever so slightly, into the creek. After taking a penalty and drop, I was 170 yards from the flag, in the left rough. I hit a beautiful 6-iron that bounced through the green opening and cozied up just below the hole. I missed the 6-footer for par, but was satisfied with bogey.
Hole #9 gave me trouble, for no real reason. It is one of the short par-4 holes, at just 269 yards from the white tees. One can lay up to the end of the fairway – a shot of about 120 yards – and then go for the green from 150 yards over the creek. Alternately, one can drive over the creek – a carry of about 180 yards – which shouldn't be a problem. I opted to carry the creek, but opened the club face badly and flared the ball way to the right. The ball was lost in the area marked as a hazard, so I had to take a penalty and drop. That would be fine, except I proceeded to shank my next shot with the pitching wedge. My next shot landed awkwardly in a greenside bunker. I got out, but was far from the hole and 3-putt for a quadruple-bogey. What a disaster!
Over the next three holes, I got back on track, recording a trio of bogeys. Hole #10 plays long if you are unable to hook your tee shot, which is exactly what happened to me. For that reason, I was more than content with bogey. My real trouble began on hole #13, a relatively easy par-4. I pushed my drive well right, finishing behind a spruce tree, 150 yards from the flag. I tried a hook shot to avoid trees further ahead and get back to in front of the green, but my ball barely got past another spruce tree. I was only 30 yards from the green, but branches took away any backswing I had. I was only able to squirt the ball ahead a few yards. Unfortunately, I duffed the next pitch attempt, landing in a large bunker. Next, I rolled off the back of the green, chipped on, and 2-putt for my second quad of the day.
Of the remaining five holes, three were played reasonably well, producing two bogeys and a par. The two that were played poorly were par-5 holes, resulting in a pair of triple-bogeys. One of these was hole #14, the signature hole at Caledon. Teeing off from atop a huge cliff, one can either carry the corner of the sharp dogleg left with driver or aim further right with less club. I took a good line, but caught the ball thin. Without any of the necessary elevation, the ball found the woods on the inside corner of the dogleg. That area is a lateral hazard, so I was able to drop my ball nearby, but the rest of the hole is no picnic from that position. You still have to get around the corner and it's a long, long way to the green. I hit three good shots in a row to reach the green in five, but then 3-putt.
My problem on the other par-5, which is hole #17, was another flared drive attempt over a creek. I have been playing a slight cut with my drives recently, giving up some distance for a lot more control. However, as is usually the case, something that helps me eventually strays too far and starts to become a problem. I think I reached that point at Caledon, so I may have to adjust to more of a draw swing on my drives moving forward. The danger, of course, is that I will overdo it. We shall see.
Score: 96
Putts: 38
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 3
September 08, 2014
Ups and Downs at Royal Ontario
It was the final round of the 2014 Deepwoods championship and my first round ever at Royal Ontario Golf Club. I had heard it described as a shot-maker's course, favouring golfers who could consistently hit targets over those who bomb away at every opportunity. In preparation for the round, I studied the course layout on the club's website, taking note of preferred targets and corresponding distances.
As it turned out, my performance was like three different golf rounds in one. I shot 28 over the first six holes, with two pars and four bogeys. Contrast this with the middle six holes, where I shot 41, thanks to a pair of double bogeys, three triples, and a quad. For the final six holes, I got back on track. I fired a 29 over that stretch, with one par and five bogeys. It was an up, down, and up again kind of day, to say the least.
My play on the opening third of the course had me thinking I might be able to maximize my Deepwoods point total. On the third hole, for example, I split the fairway with a high, straight drive. A half swing with the 5-iron advanced the ball between water on the left and fescue on the right. From 120 yards, a wedge got me flag high, just off the back of an angled green. A delicate chip and solid putt from 4 feet finished off the par.
On hole #5, a short par-4 with a dogleg right and a forced carry over a creek, surgical precision was once again required. I hit an 8-iron with a two thirds swing off the tee, leaving 120 yards to the green from the centre fairway. My gap wedge was in line with the flag, but I caught it a tad fat and came up 30 yards short of the flag. I lofted a pitch shot over a bunker and high in the air, landing softly on the green's upper level. From there, I drained a 12 footer with some break to save par.
The middle third of the course was a nightmare, and it began with a 4-iron off the tee on hole #7. I set up with an open club face, but didn't square it up through the swing, pushing the ball well out to the right and into the woods. I found the ball, but an attempt to punch out didn't work. The second attempt did and I was back in the fairway, 160 yards from the flag. To get there, I needed to fly over water almost all the way. I hit the ball straight, but caught it way too fat and landed in the drink. After a penalty and drop, I reached the green and 2-putt for a quad.
A series of errors ensued over the next five holes. The gap wedge was hit fat again on hole #8, a short par-3. My ball failed to carry a hazard, so I took another penalty. On hole #9, I found the fescue and weeds on two occasions. On the first of these, I found my ball, but I wasn't so lucky the second time. Chalk up another penalty. In fact, the middle third of the course accounted for 6 of my 7 penalties on the day. Two came on hole #10 – the first off the tee and the second on the approach to the green. I even went out of bounds on hole #11, a short par 3. Come to think of it, the gap wedge was responsible on that par-3, just as it was on hole #8.
The most disappointing part of this stretch of poor play is the fact that these are some of the easiest holes on the course. In terms of handicap, holes 7 through 12 are rated 14, 18, 12, 13, 17, and 15. I agree that holes 8, 11, and 12 are fairly easy, but I'm surprised that holes 7, 9, and 10 are rated as they are. Seems to me there's a lot of danger on all of those holes. The other way to look at this is that I excelled on the toughest holes that the course has to offer. From that perspective, it's encouraging.
The highlight of the final third of the course was hole #13, a relatively short par-4. I hit an excellent drive, splitting the fairway with the driver and leaving 120 yards to the flag. Next, I hit my best approach shot of the day, nailing my only green in regulation, just below the hole. I faced about a 12 foot birdie putt and though it didn't drop, it was a good attempt. I was happy with par.
Five consecutive bogeys closed out the round, including one on the difficult closing hole. I took a penalty there, as my second shot dove into a hazard on the right side of the fairway. In spite of that, I made a good pitch to get on the green and then drained a long breaking putt that received a cheer from the Deepwoods members watching the action from the patio nearby.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 7
As it turned out, my performance was like three different golf rounds in one. I shot 28 over the first six holes, with two pars and four bogeys. Contrast this with the middle six holes, where I shot 41, thanks to a pair of double bogeys, three triples, and a quad. For the final six holes, I got back on track. I fired a 29 over that stretch, with one par and five bogeys. It was an up, down, and up again kind of day, to say the least.
My play on the opening third of the course had me thinking I might be able to maximize my Deepwoods point total. On the third hole, for example, I split the fairway with a high, straight drive. A half swing with the 5-iron advanced the ball between water on the left and fescue on the right. From 120 yards, a wedge got me flag high, just off the back of an angled green. A delicate chip and solid putt from 4 feet finished off the par.
On hole #5, a short par-4 with a dogleg right and a forced carry over a creek, surgical precision was once again required. I hit an 8-iron with a two thirds swing off the tee, leaving 120 yards to the green from the centre fairway. My gap wedge was in line with the flag, but I caught it a tad fat and came up 30 yards short of the flag. I lofted a pitch shot over a bunker and high in the air, landing softly on the green's upper level. From there, I drained a 12 footer with some break to save par.
The middle third of the course was a nightmare, and it began with a 4-iron off the tee on hole #7. I set up with an open club face, but didn't square it up through the swing, pushing the ball well out to the right and into the woods. I found the ball, but an attempt to punch out didn't work. The second attempt did and I was back in the fairway, 160 yards from the flag. To get there, I needed to fly over water almost all the way. I hit the ball straight, but caught it way too fat and landed in the drink. After a penalty and drop, I reached the green and 2-putt for a quad.
A series of errors ensued over the next five holes. The gap wedge was hit fat again on hole #8, a short par-3. My ball failed to carry a hazard, so I took another penalty. On hole #9, I found the fescue and weeds on two occasions. On the first of these, I found my ball, but I wasn't so lucky the second time. Chalk up another penalty. In fact, the middle third of the course accounted for 6 of my 7 penalties on the day. Two came on hole #10 – the first off the tee and the second on the approach to the green. I even went out of bounds on hole #11, a short par 3. Come to think of it, the gap wedge was responsible on that par-3, just as it was on hole #8.
The most disappointing part of this stretch of poor play is the fact that these are some of the easiest holes on the course. In terms of handicap, holes 7 through 12 are rated 14, 18, 12, 13, 17, and 15. I agree that holes 8, 11, and 12 are fairly easy, but I'm surprised that holes 7, 9, and 10 are rated as they are. Seems to me there's a lot of danger on all of those holes. The other way to look at this is that I excelled on the toughest holes that the course has to offer. From that perspective, it's encouraging.
The highlight of the final third of the course was hole #13, a relatively short par-4. I hit an excellent drive, splitting the fairway with the driver and leaving 120 yards to the flag. Next, I hit my best approach shot of the day, nailing my only green in regulation, just below the hole. I faced about a 12 foot birdie putt and though it didn't drop, it was a good attempt. I was happy with par.
Five consecutive bogeys closed out the round, including one on the difficult closing hole. I took a penalty there, as my second shot dove into a hazard on the right side of the fairway. In spite of that, I made a good pitch to get on the green and then drained a long breaking putt that received a cheer from the Deepwoods members watching the action from the patio nearby.
Score: 98
Putts: 32
Fairways: 7
Greens: 1
Penalties: 7
September 05, 2014
Taking Care of Business at Glen Eagle
I rip myself pretty hard on this blog sometimes. Golf is not a game of perfection, so there's plenty of opportunity to slam my weaknesses. I have to say though, this year has been a pretty good one. Aside from a handful of blowups, my scores have been evenly distributed in the range from 89 to 101. That puts me back to my 2011 level, which is just slightly worse than my personal best. Getting back to a level that you achieved three years ago may not seem like a big accomplishment, but it actually is, since the intervening couple of years were drastically worse.
My latest round was played at Glen Eagle Golf Club, in Bolton. It was a 7:00 am tee time, which is extremely early for me. Weather experts were predicting a high temperature of 32 degrees, with the humidex making it feel more like 40. Thus, I wanted to finish before the heat and humidity reached a peak. It was a few minutes after sunrise, but due to cloudy skies, it was still a little dark out. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just started poorly, but I struggled terribly on the first three holes.
My drive on hole #1 was off the heel of the club and dribbled just ahead of the teeing ground. I punched through some trees to get back to the fairway, but then hit some weak irons en route to a triple bogey. The result was the same on hole #2, despite a better drive to start things off. A duffed pitch from 40 yards was particularly bad. When you're striking the ball this poorly, the last thing you want to do is step up to a 200-yard par 3 through a chute of trees, but that's exactly what I was forced to do on hole #3. I hooked a 3-iron into a tree, but luckily the ball bounced back into the open. The lie wasn't great, so I came up short of the green again. The final damage was double bogey.
I had one more bad hole – #8, which is another 200-yard par-3. I hit my 3-iron extremely fat, leaving 100 yards to the flag from the rough. That didn't really bother me – it's a long par-3 and I was probably intimidated by two ponds that front the green, one on either side. The next shot, however, bothered me. I must have opened the face of the sand wedge a tad, so the ball leaked slightly right and slightly short. It was in the water and I was forced to take a penalty. I finished with a triple bogey.
So, I was 11 over par for the four holes I've already described. Contrast this with the rest of the round, where I was 9 over par through 14 holes. What a difference! I felt in control of every part of the game, but most importantly, it was fun! When you're keeping the ball in play, hitting fairways and greens, and standing over a fair share of birdie putts, the fun of the game emerges. It's an element that was largely missing over the last two years.
On hole #4, I was surprised that my drive trickled into the left rough. With the pin position in the back left, the ideal approach shot was a draw. I did exactly that with the 8-iron, finishing pin high, just off the back of the angled green. A solid chip left an easy tap-in for par. On hole #5, a par-5, I played driver to the fairway, followed by a half swing 5-iron, leaving 80 yards to the flag. The lob wedge finished behind the hole, but I 2-putt easily for par. My par putt on hole #6, a par-3, came up one inch short of dropping. My tee shot was a bit fat and I pitched onto the green, leaving a realistic par chance. Still, bogey was fine.
Hole #7 is another par-5 that I began by splitting the fairway with my driver. My half swing 5-iron went a little right of the desired target, bringing a medium sized tree into play. From 140 yards, I could not go for the pin, but I could see the left side of the green. I missed the green by three yards, but chipped on and 2-putt for a solid bogey. Hole #9 is a longish par-4 that began with a short, slicing drive. A spruce tree prevented me from going for the green 200 yards away. I played a shorter shot to the edge of the fairway, 80 yards from the hole. Next, I hit a brilliant half swing 8-iron that bumped up at the front of the green and trickled right to the hole. I made the 3-foot putt to save par!
The back nine (or yellow nine) at Glen Eagle was even more fun than the last few holes. Hole #10 is a par-5 with out of bounds along the entire left side. After a short drive to the fairway, I hit 5-wood to get over a pond pinching in on the right side. Due to a headwind, I barely made it over, with my ball settling in some long rough. All I could do was advance the ball, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. The fairway was wet, but I could not play a bump and run, due to a grassy hollow right in front of the green. Of course, the lob wedge slid right under the ball and it went only 15 yards. I was not happy about that, as it wasn't really my fault. With an additional shot to get on the putting surface, I finished with double bogey.
The last eight holes of the day resulted in three pars and five bogeys. I did not miss a single fairway on the back nine. In addition, I hit five greens in regulation. I was in complete control of the driver, swinging easy every time. On some occasions, I gave up some distance, but who needs extra distance when you're in the fairway with a mid or high iron? Speaking of irons, they were also very solid. The only thing that could have been working better was putting. I had one lengthy par putt stop with half the ball overhanging the hole. I also had two par putts of about 5 feet just burn the edge. Those went down as 3-putts, but the initial lag putts were from distance and not bad at all. I just needed a little more precision on those intermediate ones.
The funny thing about pars and near-pars is that they're boring to describe. Usually, you hit the fairway, put your approach somewhere on the green, lag a putt close and then tap out. It's boring to hear about, but so much fun to execute! LOL
Anyway, I'm happy with the final score of 92. With a better start, or with a couple more putts dropping, this could have easily been in the eighties. With this result, my handicap factor dipped again, but stubbornly stayed at 20.0 to remain out of the teens.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 9
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
My latest round was played at Glen Eagle Golf Club, in Bolton. It was a 7:00 am tee time, which is extremely early for me. Weather experts were predicting a high temperature of 32 degrees, with the humidex making it feel more like 40. Thus, I wanted to finish before the heat and humidity reached a peak. It was a few minutes after sunrise, but due to cloudy skies, it was still a little dark out. Maybe it was that, or maybe I just started poorly, but I struggled terribly on the first three holes.
My drive on hole #1 was off the heel of the club and dribbled just ahead of the teeing ground. I punched through some trees to get back to the fairway, but then hit some weak irons en route to a triple bogey. The result was the same on hole #2, despite a better drive to start things off. A duffed pitch from 40 yards was particularly bad. When you're striking the ball this poorly, the last thing you want to do is step up to a 200-yard par 3 through a chute of trees, but that's exactly what I was forced to do on hole #3. I hooked a 3-iron into a tree, but luckily the ball bounced back into the open. The lie wasn't great, so I came up short of the green again. The final damage was double bogey.
I had one more bad hole – #8, which is another 200-yard par-3. I hit my 3-iron extremely fat, leaving 100 yards to the flag from the rough. That didn't really bother me – it's a long par-3 and I was probably intimidated by two ponds that front the green, one on either side. The next shot, however, bothered me. I must have opened the face of the sand wedge a tad, so the ball leaked slightly right and slightly short. It was in the water and I was forced to take a penalty. I finished with a triple bogey.
So, I was 11 over par for the four holes I've already described. Contrast this with the rest of the round, where I was 9 over par through 14 holes. What a difference! I felt in control of every part of the game, but most importantly, it was fun! When you're keeping the ball in play, hitting fairways and greens, and standing over a fair share of birdie putts, the fun of the game emerges. It's an element that was largely missing over the last two years.
On hole #4, I was surprised that my drive trickled into the left rough. With the pin position in the back left, the ideal approach shot was a draw. I did exactly that with the 8-iron, finishing pin high, just off the back of the angled green. A solid chip left an easy tap-in for par. On hole #5, a par-5, I played driver to the fairway, followed by a half swing 5-iron, leaving 80 yards to the flag. The lob wedge finished behind the hole, but I 2-putt easily for par. My par putt on hole #6, a par-3, came up one inch short of dropping. My tee shot was a bit fat and I pitched onto the green, leaving a realistic par chance. Still, bogey was fine.
Hole #7 is another par-5 that I began by splitting the fairway with my driver. My half swing 5-iron went a little right of the desired target, bringing a medium sized tree into play. From 140 yards, I could not go for the pin, but I could see the left side of the green. I missed the green by three yards, but chipped on and 2-putt for a solid bogey. Hole #9 is a longish par-4 that began with a short, slicing drive. A spruce tree prevented me from going for the green 200 yards away. I played a shorter shot to the edge of the fairway, 80 yards from the hole. Next, I hit a brilliant half swing 8-iron that bumped up at the front of the green and trickled right to the hole. I made the 3-foot putt to save par!
The back nine (or yellow nine) at Glen Eagle was even more fun than the last few holes. Hole #10 is a par-5 with out of bounds along the entire left side. After a short drive to the fairway, I hit 5-wood to get over a pond pinching in on the right side. Due to a headwind, I barely made it over, with my ball settling in some long rough. All I could do was advance the ball, leaving a 40-yard pitch to the green. The fairway was wet, but I could not play a bump and run, due to a grassy hollow right in front of the green. Of course, the lob wedge slid right under the ball and it went only 15 yards. I was not happy about that, as it wasn't really my fault. With an additional shot to get on the putting surface, I finished with double bogey.
The last eight holes of the day resulted in three pars and five bogeys. I did not miss a single fairway on the back nine. In addition, I hit five greens in regulation. I was in complete control of the driver, swinging easy every time. On some occasions, I gave up some distance, but who needs extra distance when you're in the fairway with a mid or high iron? Speaking of irons, they were also very solid. The only thing that could have been working better was putting. I had one lengthy par putt stop with half the ball overhanging the hole. I also had two par putts of about 5 feet just burn the edge. Those went down as 3-putts, but the initial lag putts were from distance and not bad at all. I just needed a little more precision on those intermediate ones.
The funny thing about pars and near-pars is that they're boring to describe. Usually, you hit the fairway, put your approach somewhere on the green, lag a putt close and then tap out. It's boring to hear about, but so much fun to execute! LOL
Anyway, I'm happy with the final score of 92. With a better start, or with a couple more putts dropping, this could have easily been in the eighties. With this result, my handicap factor dipped again, but stubbornly stayed at 20.0 to remain out of the teens.
Score: 92
Putts: 35
Fairways: 9
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
September 04, 2014
Successful Day at BraeBen
My latest round was at BraeBen Golf Course in Mississauga. It was only my second ever visit to the course – the first one was way back in 2006. I liked it back then, but for one reason or another, the course never fell into my regular rotation. I still like it, so I'll have to see if I can get out there more often. Besides the fun layout, it's nice to play golf without having to drive very far from home.
My first visit to BraeBen was played from about 5,500 yards. I played as a single and didn't encounter any other players on the course for the entire round. I shot 95, which at that time was a personal best. I was a different golfer back then – just starting to really get into the game and with less than 100 lifetime rounds under my belt. I didn't hit the ball very far, relied on fairway woods a lot more than I do today, and on wedges a lot less.
Fast forward eight years and despite being a completely different golfer, both physically and mentally, the result was almost the same. I shot 93, so I did have a slight improvement, and did so from about 5,900 yards. I normally play between 6,000 and 6,500 yards, so length was not an issue. The name of the game at BraeBen is keeping your ball out of the fescue, thistle and other weeds that are found everywhere. It's impossible to find your ball in there, though you'll often find the balls of previous victims.
I opened with par on the first hole, with a drive to the left fairway, iron to the right fairway, and sand wedge to the green from 100 yards. Two putts closed things out in fine fashion. It looked like I was placing the ball wherever I wanted. A pair of bogeys ensued on the next two holes, as I just missed the greens, before chipping on and 2-putting.
The first wayward shot was a pitching wedge off the tee on hole #4, a 131-yard par-3. The ball hooked toward the cart path, hitting a mound which kicked it left into a weed and thistle covered gulley. I actually found the ball and had a shot. I had to get over a bunker to reach the green surface well above me. I thought there was room beyond the green, so I took no chances and blasted the ball long. When I climbed up to the green, I was disappointed to see another weed filled drop-off on the other side. That ball was lost and I was forced to take a penalty. I chipped on and 1-putt for double-bogey.
Holes #5 and #6 were things of beauty, resulting in a couple of pars. My drive on #5 actually wasn't great, but I ended up in the middle of the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. Next, I hit a sexy 8-iron right on target, nailing the green and finishing about 7 feet below the pin at the back of the green. Everything about that shot was perfection. I got a bit of a read on my birdie putt from my playing partner, but failed to drain it. The uphill putt was simply straighter than it looked like it was going to be. Hole #6 is a par-5 that I began with a great drive just in the left rough, followed by another pure 8-iron that set me up well to finish strong.
Hole #7 is the most talked about hole at BraeBen. It's a par-3 measuring only 138 yards from the blue tees, but features a huge drop from the teeing ground and a large pond fronting a wide but shallow green. It was my worst hole of the day, as I thinned a pitching wedge and pulled it left, catching the cart path and bouncing into some long weeds. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, I was still blocked out from the green. Two pitch shots, followed by three putts earned a quadruple-bogey. The pitches and putts were actually good – it's just that the hole was in a very difficult position on a big sloped section of the green.
I double-bogeyed hole #8 and made par on #9, for a score of 46 at the turn. On hole #10, a par-3 that was playing 170 yards, I nailed the green and was robbed on my birdie putt. It was a fairly lengthy uphill, with a big break at the end. I caught the upper lip, which whipped the ball to the right a fair amount. The par putt was longer than it should have been, but it was uphill and relatively straight, so I had no trouble. After ten holes, I was 10 over par – perfect bogey pace.
A pair of double-bogeys came next, on holes #11 and #12. The first of these was due to an unnecessary 3-putt, as I pushed and blasted my first attempt well past the hole. The second resulted from a bad pitch shot from 10 yards behind the green. It bounced one foot onto the green surface, but rolled all the way off the other side. I was using the 60 degree wedge and lofted the ball up pretty well, but to no avail. It was remarkable that I was even pitching from that position to begin with. From 150 yards out on my approach to the green, I hit an 8-iron. That is my stock 150-yard club. I must have “caught a flyer” as they say, because I launched the ball 170 yards and it was all carry. Oops!
Holes #13 and #14 caused some trouble, resulting in triple and double bogeys, respectively. I pull hooked a 5-iron on #13, which is a par-3, and lost the ball in the thistle. On #14, I had another dreaded 3-putt, much like on #11.
The last four holes were mostly rock solid. I 3-putt hole #15 after hitting the fairway and getting on the green in regulation. I had blasted my first putt long on #14, so of course, I came up short with my first attempt on #15. It was classic over-compensation. Still, bogey wasn't bad. I made pars on #16 and #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I played much like hole #1. I nailed the right side of the fairway with a drive, advanced the ball to the left fairway with a pitching wedge, then nailed the centre of the green with the same club, before 2-putting. Again, it was like I placed the ball wherever I wanted. LOL. I scrambled on hole #17 for the par, as my tee shot was bad. However, I found the green with the sand wedge on my second shot and had a good look at birdie. I came up 4 inches short and tapped in.
Hole #18 is another par-5. I hit the exact spot I wanted on the left side of the fairway with my driver. From 230 yards, I opted for 3-wood to get close to the green or even on it. I wasn't fully committed and ended up starting to the left side and slicing it back to centre, about 40 yards short of the flag. It should have been an easy pitch on, but I came up 5 yards short and was forced to chip. I 2-putt for bogey, but was satisfied with the hole and with the round.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped, but just barely. It is currently 20.1 – just two tenths away from being in the teens again.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
My first visit to BraeBen was played from about 5,500 yards. I played as a single and didn't encounter any other players on the course for the entire round. I shot 95, which at that time was a personal best. I was a different golfer back then – just starting to really get into the game and with less than 100 lifetime rounds under my belt. I didn't hit the ball very far, relied on fairway woods a lot more than I do today, and on wedges a lot less.
Fast forward eight years and despite being a completely different golfer, both physically and mentally, the result was almost the same. I shot 93, so I did have a slight improvement, and did so from about 5,900 yards. I normally play between 6,000 and 6,500 yards, so length was not an issue. The name of the game at BraeBen is keeping your ball out of the fescue, thistle and other weeds that are found everywhere. It's impossible to find your ball in there, though you'll often find the balls of previous victims.
I opened with par on the first hole, with a drive to the left fairway, iron to the right fairway, and sand wedge to the green from 100 yards. Two putts closed things out in fine fashion. It looked like I was placing the ball wherever I wanted. A pair of bogeys ensued on the next two holes, as I just missed the greens, before chipping on and 2-putting.
The first wayward shot was a pitching wedge off the tee on hole #4, a 131-yard par-3. The ball hooked toward the cart path, hitting a mound which kicked it left into a weed and thistle covered gulley. I actually found the ball and had a shot. I had to get over a bunker to reach the green surface well above me. I thought there was room beyond the green, so I took no chances and blasted the ball long. When I climbed up to the green, I was disappointed to see another weed filled drop-off on the other side. That ball was lost and I was forced to take a penalty. I chipped on and 1-putt for double-bogey.
Holes #5 and #6 were things of beauty, resulting in a couple of pars. My drive on #5 actually wasn't great, but I ended up in the middle of the fairway, right beside the 150-yard stick. Next, I hit a sexy 8-iron right on target, nailing the green and finishing about 7 feet below the pin at the back of the green. Everything about that shot was perfection. I got a bit of a read on my birdie putt from my playing partner, but failed to drain it. The uphill putt was simply straighter than it looked like it was going to be. Hole #6 is a par-5 that I began with a great drive just in the left rough, followed by another pure 8-iron that set me up well to finish strong.
Hole #7 is the most talked about hole at BraeBen. It's a par-3 measuring only 138 yards from the blue tees, but features a huge drop from the teeing ground and a large pond fronting a wide but shallow green. It was my worst hole of the day, as I thinned a pitching wedge and pulled it left, catching the cart path and bouncing into some long weeds. After taking a penalty stroke and drop, I was still blocked out from the green. Two pitch shots, followed by three putts earned a quadruple-bogey. The pitches and putts were actually good – it's just that the hole was in a very difficult position on a big sloped section of the green.
I double-bogeyed hole #8 and made par on #9, for a score of 46 at the turn. On hole #10, a par-3 that was playing 170 yards, I nailed the green and was robbed on my birdie putt. It was a fairly lengthy uphill, with a big break at the end. I caught the upper lip, which whipped the ball to the right a fair amount. The par putt was longer than it should have been, but it was uphill and relatively straight, so I had no trouble. After ten holes, I was 10 over par – perfect bogey pace.
A pair of double-bogeys came next, on holes #11 and #12. The first of these was due to an unnecessary 3-putt, as I pushed and blasted my first attempt well past the hole. The second resulted from a bad pitch shot from 10 yards behind the green. It bounced one foot onto the green surface, but rolled all the way off the other side. I was using the 60 degree wedge and lofted the ball up pretty well, but to no avail. It was remarkable that I was even pitching from that position to begin with. From 150 yards out on my approach to the green, I hit an 8-iron. That is my stock 150-yard club. I must have “caught a flyer” as they say, because I launched the ball 170 yards and it was all carry. Oops!
Holes #13 and #14 caused some trouble, resulting in triple and double bogeys, respectively. I pull hooked a 5-iron on #13, which is a par-3, and lost the ball in the thistle. On #14, I had another dreaded 3-putt, much like on #11.
The last four holes were mostly rock solid. I 3-putt hole #15 after hitting the fairway and getting on the green in regulation. I had blasted my first putt long on #14, so of course, I came up short with my first attempt on #15. It was classic over-compensation. Still, bogey wasn't bad. I made pars on #16 and #17. The first of these is a par-5 that I played much like hole #1. I nailed the right side of the fairway with a drive, advanced the ball to the left fairway with a pitching wedge, then nailed the centre of the green with the same club, before 2-putting. Again, it was like I placed the ball wherever I wanted. LOL. I scrambled on hole #17 for the par, as my tee shot was bad. However, I found the green with the sand wedge on my second shot and had a good look at birdie. I came up 4 inches short and tapped in.
Hole #18 is another par-5. I hit the exact spot I wanted on the left side of the fairway with my driver. From 230 yards, I opted for 3-wood to get close to the green or even on it. I wasn't fully committed and ended up starting to the left side and slicing it back to centre, about 40 yards short of the flag. It should have been an easy pitch on, but I came up 5 yards short and was forced to chip. I 2-putt for bogey, but was satisfied with the hole and with the round.
With this result, my handicap factor dipped, but just barely. It is currently 20.1 – just two tenths away from being in the teens again.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 3
September 02, 2014
Birdies Wasted at Battlefield
It was a rare back-to-back, as I returned to Legends on the Niagara for my latest round. This time, I played the Battlefield course, as opposed to Ussher's Creek. Playing both courses in quick succession, one realizes there really is very little separating these designs. Both are terrific layouts and lots of fun.
I barely made it to the course in time, thanks to the traffic snarls of Labour Day Weekend. I was a little rattled at the start of the round and it was also fairly windy. Over the first four holes, I managed to keep my driver in play, while my irons were hit and miss. On hole #1, I topped an iron attempt and hooked another. On hole #2, I hit a pure 4-iron from the fairway with my second shot, but it was straight into the wind and came up 10 yards short of the elevated green. On hole #3, a par-3, I opened the face of the 7-iron too much and flared one into the fescue. As you can see, my irons were either topped, straight lasers, hooked left, or flared right. That should be easy to fix then, right? LOL
Due to that early wildness, I opened with a pair of bogeys and a pair of double bogeys. I had some momentary genius on hole #5, a short par-4. First, I nailed the centre of the fairway with my driver. From the 100-yard stick, and with the wind blowing, I opted to half punch an 8-iron through the opening at the green front. I had to be accurate to avoid a bunker pinching on the right and to stop the ball on the green. It worked like a charm, with the ball settling about 8 feet behind the hole. Fortunately, I nailed the relatively straight putt for birdie!
A wild second shot on hole #6 led to double bogey. Hitting from the left side of the fairway, I once again opened the club face too much, pushing the ball well right of target. Things got worse on hole #7, as I registered a quadruple bogey! A lake borders the entire left side of this par-4 all the way to the green and can be intimidating. I composed myself well and hit a good drive to a bunker on the right side of the fairway. I had a perfect lie and angle to the green, but I clipped the sand, sending the ball to the right rough 100 yards from the flag. At this point, I made a bad decision. I tried the half punch 8-iron again, since it worked so well on hole #5. Coming out of the rough, however, was a completely different ball of wax. The ball went nowhere and then I duffed a pitch attempt from the soggy fairway. To top things off, I 3-putt. Argh!
I made the turn with a score of 49 and then went on a really hot streak. I bogeyed hole #10, a par-4 in steady fashion. Hole #11 was a thing of beauty. I nailed the left edge of this par-5 fairway with a good drive. From 230 yards, I took aim over some bunkers with the 5-iron. I was trying to lay up short of more bunkers on the left side of the green. The right side of the fairway and green are protected by a pond. I absolutely crushed the ball, sending it 200 yards right into the throat of the green opening. Almost unwittingly, I threaded the needle on that shot. I wasn't trying to reach the green in two, but that's basically what I had done. I chipped onto the green with my third shot and the ball trickled right to the flag, curling inches below the hole. For a while I thought I had an eagle, but I settled for a tap-in birdie!
A pair of pars continued the streak on the next two holes. On hole #12, an amazing 70-foot putt from just off the green did the trick. It was unexpected and felt fantastic. It had been a while since I dropped one from downtown like that. On hole #13, a short par-4, the par came in textbook fashion. I split the fairway with driver off the tee. From 120 yards, I drew a shot with the gap wedge to the rear pin position. From 10 feet away, I had a really good look at birdie, but barely missed. That's OK, tap-in pars are nice too.
Through 13 holes, I was 13 over par – perfect bogey pace. I was proud of how I battled through some adversity early on to get back on track. Then it all changed with my tee shot on hole #14, a 139-yard par-3. The pin was very accessible at the front of the green, with lots of room short and right. Inexplicably, I hit a wicked hook into a hazard covering the entire left side of the hole. I took my first penalty stroke of the day and a drop. After a pitch and two putts, I had a double bogey.
In and of itself, the double-bogey was not a problem. However, the tee shot on that hole was a clear momentum breaker. I pulled my drive on the next hole into the woods left of the fairway. Another penalty stroke. I duffed an iron, then flared another, en route to quadruple bogey. On hole #16, I played my drive to a good position left of the fairway. A pond protects the right side of the hole half way down the fairway and wraps around the right side of the green. I had the safest angle into the green and room short and left. Again, I pushed an iron well right of target and this one found the pond. It was my third and final penalty of the day, coming on my third successive hole. I ended up making triple bogey on that hole, as a 3-putt compounded matters.
I made par on hole #17, a short par 3, thanks to a great bump and run with my second shot. It made up for a chunky tee shot. Unfortunately, it was more bad news on the final hole of the day. I hit a fine drive to the left fairway on this dramatic par-5. A lake borders the entire right side of this hole from tee to green. A slight mis-hit with the 5-iron on my second shot didn't cause any harm. I was still in the fairway, 160 yards from the green with a good angle to the front pin position. Now, I decided to take the water completely out of play with my third shot. Rather than loft a 7 or 8-iron into the air, I elected to half punch a 5-iron toward the green opening. If I came up 20 yards short, I could pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. If I got it up to the green, I could have a go at par. I ended up about 25 yards short, but the ball hooked slightly (perhaps from my fear of finding the water right). This meant I had to pitch over a bunker to reach the green. Of course, I duffed that shot and found the sand. Next, I carried over the green and went in the water! Are you kidding me? All that strategy and I still get the ball wet? I took a drop, chipped on and made a single putt for a triple bogey.
I was very disappointed in the last hole, but all in all, a final score of 97 isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
I barely made it to the course in time, thanks to the traffic snarls of Labour Day Weekend. I was a little rattled at the start of the round and it was also fairly windy. Over the first four holes, I managed to keep my driver in play, while my irons were hit and miss. On hole #1, I topped an iron attempt and hooked another. On hole #2, I hit a pure 4-iron from the fairway with my second shot, but it was straight into the wind and came up 10 yards short of the elevated green. On hole #3, a par-3, I opened the face of the 7-iron too much and flared one into the fescue. As you can see, my irons were either topped, straight lasers, hooked left, or flared right. That should be easy to fix then, right? LOL
Due to that early wildness, I opened with a pair of bogeys and a pair of double bogeys. I had some momentary genius on hole #5, a short par-4. First, I nailed the centre of the fairway with my driver. From the 100-yard stick, and with the wind blowing, I opted to half punch an 8-iron through the opening at the green front. I had to be accurate to avoid a bunker pinching on the right and to stop the ball on the green. It worked like a charm, with the ball settling about 8 feet behind the hole. Fortunately, I nailed the relatively straight putt for birdie!
A wild second shot on hole #6 led to double bogey. Hitting from the left side of the fairway, I once again opened the club face too much, pushing the ball well right of target. Things got worse on hole #7, as I registered a quadruple bogey! A lake borders the entire left side of this par-4 all the way to the green and can be intimidating. I composed myself well and hit a good drive to a bunker on the right side of the fairway. I had a perfect lie and angle to the green, but I clipped the sand, sending the ball to the right rough 100 yards from the flag. At this point, I made a bad decision. I tried the half punch 8-iron again, since it worked so well on hole #5. Coming out of the rough, however, was a completely different ball of wax. The ball went nowhere and then I duffed a pitch attempt from the soggy fairway. To top things off, I 3-putt. Argh!
I made the turn with a score of 49 and then went on a really hot streak. I bogeyed hole #10, a par-4 in steady fashion. Hole #11 was a thing of beauty. I nailed the left edge of this par-5 fairway with a good drive. From 230 yards, I took aim over some bunkers with the 5-iron. I was trying to lay up short of more bunkers on the left side of the green. The right side of the fairway and green are protected by a pond. I absolutely crushed the ball, sending it 200 yards right into the throat of the green opening. Almost unwittingly, I threaded the needle on that shot. I wasn't trying to reach the green in two, but that's basically what I had done. I chipped onto the green with my third shot and the ball trickled right to the flag, curling inches below the hole. For a while I thought I had an eagle, but I settled for a tap-in birdie!
A pair of pars continued the streak on the next two holes. On hole #12, an amazing 70-foot putt from just off the green did the trick. It was unexpected and felt fantastic. It had been a while since I dropped one from downtown like that. On hole #13, a short par-4, the par came in textbook fashion. I split the fairway with driver off the tee. From 120 yards, I drew a shot with the gap wedge to the rear pin position. From 10 feet away, I had a really good look at birdie, but barely missed. That's OK, tap-in pars are nice too.
Through 13 holes, I was 13 over par – perfect bogey pace. I was proud of how I battled through some adversity early on to get back on track. Then it all changed with my tee shot on hole #14, a 139-yard par-3. The pin was very accessible at the front of the green, with lots of room short and right. Inexplicably, I hit a wicked hook into a hazard covering the entire left side of the hole. I took my first penalty stroke of the day and a drop. After a pitch and two putts, I had a double bogey.
In and of itself, the double-bogey was not a problem. However, the tee shot on that hole was a clear momentum breaker. I pulled my drive on the next hole into the woods left of the fairway. Another penalty stroke. I duffed an iron, then flared another, en route to quadruple bogey. On hole #16, I played my drive to a good position left of the fairway. A pond protects the right side of the hole half way down the fairway and wraps around the right side of the green. I had the safest angle into the green and room short and left. Again, I pushed an iron well right of target and this one found the pond. It was my third and final penalty of the day, coming on my third successive hole. I ended up making triple bogey on that hole, as a 3-putt compounded matters.
I made par on hole #17, a short par 3, thanks to a great bump and run with my second shot. It made up for a chunky tee shot. Unfortunately, it was more bad news on the final hole of the day. I hit a fine drive to the left fairway on this dramatic par-5. A lake borders the entire right side of this hole from tee to green. A slight mis-hit with the 5-iron on my second shot didn't cause any harm. I was still in the fairway, 160 yards from the green with a good angle to the front pin position. Now, I decided to take the water completely out of play with my third shot. Rather than loft a 7 or 8-iron into the air, I elected to half punch a 5-iron toward the green opening. If I came up 20 yards short, I could pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. If I got it up to the green, I could have a go at par. I ended up about 25 yards short, but the ball hooked slightly (perhaps from my fear of finding the water right). This meant I had to pitch over a bunker to reach the green. Of course, I duffed that shot and found the sand. Next, I carried over the green and went in the water! Are you kidding me? All that strategy and I still get the ball wet? I took a drop, chipped on and made a single putt for a triple bogey.
I was very disappointed in the last hole, but all in all, a final score of 97 isn't bad. It's not good, but it's not bad.
Score: 97
Putts: 32
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
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