The temperature reached 11 degrees Celsius today in Toronto. The long-term forecast is calling for highs no greater than 7 degrees, so I took advantage of today's double-digit high to put my winter tires on the car. In recent years, this has served as a reminder to write my year-end golf review. After all, when the winter tires go on, you can be sure that golf season has come to an end. So here we go!
Overall, I have to say that 2014 was a success. Keep in mind that my game peaked in 2009, before levelling off in 2010. Since then, it has been three years of steady decline. The clearest indicator of this has been my handicap factor. It got as low as 15.7 in 2009, albeit briefly. In 2010, it stayed in a tight range between 17 and 18. It climbed to 19.3 by the end of 2011, then to 22.2 by the end of 2012. By the end of last year, it had risen all the way to 25.8 – not far from my estimated handicap when I first took up the game. All season long, I chipped away at the handicap factor, reaching 19.7 after my last round of the year. I stalled a bit at 20, which was a barrier I set out to overcome at the start of the year, so I'm glad I busted through with a final surge.
Last year, I broke 100 only five times. More than my handicap, this was a very telling stat. In my early golf days, breaking 100 was the goal. As my game improved, it became the rule, rather than the exception. In fact, 100 or greater became the mark of failure. To go lower than the century mark only a handful of times in 2013 was like starting the game all over again. For that reason, I'm happy to report that I managed to break 100 thirty times in 2014. Perhaps because I was back in the 90s with regularity, I didn't even mind the occasions when I “missed the cut” by a stroke or two. On seven occasions, I scored 100 or 101, but brushed it aside as no different than shooting 99 or 98. That's a big mental adjustment for me – one I will strive to carry forward next year. Bad rounds happen. It's no big deal and doesn't always reflect on your overall ability.
One of the reasons I was able to improve was the sheer number of games played. My dip in performance over the three previous years corresponded directly with fewer games played. I played only 31 rounds each of those years. This year, I was aiming for about 35 games, but a late season flurry pushed my total up to 44. That's very close to the levels I reached in the years leading up to 2011, when my game was at its best. I know some people who are able to maintain their performance level with very few games played, but I'm not one of them. I need to be active to keep my game as sharp as it can be.
Those 44 rounds were played at 34 different golf courses. The course I played most often, with three visits, was Lowville. Two of those rounds were played back-to-back in late October. I played 8 courses twice – Dragon's Fire, Willodell, Hidden Lake Old, Legends Battlefield, Century Pines, Calerin, Bradford Highlands, and Glen Eagle. On my second visit to Glen Eagle, I played the Original 18, which was substantially different than the first time around.
The courses I played for the first time this year were: Glencairn, Calerin, Royal Ontario, Caledon, and Scenic Woods. Glencairn was the nicest of these, and I played it with some good friends, which is always a treat. Despite the fact that it was only my fourth round of the year, I had a good result. Calerin is the only 9-hole course I've ever played, but you go around twice to complete 18 holes. I was pleasantly surprised with the layout. Royal Ontario was finally crossed off my list of unplayed courses, as it hosted the Deepwoods Golf Association final. I had heard much about the course, so it was nice to be able to form my own opinion. Caledon is another course that I never got around to playing, so I enjoyed getting out there as well. Finally, there was Scenic Woods. I won't be rushing back any time soon, but I'll remember it fondly because it was the site of my best round in 2014 – a respectable 85 in late October.
Looking at my average stats for the year reveals some improvement over last season. My average score was 98.1 – down from 103.5 a year earlier. While it's now heading in the right direction, I would like to see this number closer to 93 or so. With a normal distribution, that would see the bulk of my scores falling between 87 and 99. This year, my typical scoring range was between 89 and 101, with a slight skew toward the upper end. I averaged 35.3 putts in 2014, which was not all that different from the 35.6 averaged in 2013. I've never had many complaints about my putting, but I'll save strokes wherever I can find them. Fairways hit improved from 4.1 to 5.3 during this year's campaign. Greens in regulation saw a similar bump – to 3.3 from just 2.8 last season. Improvement is always good, but these numbers are still far too low. I figure I should be able to hit at least 7 fairways per round, every time out. Greens are harder for me, but 6 per round is a good goal. That's a long way off, but a guy can dream, right?
Finally, a few words about my performance in the Deepwoods Golf Association championship. There was a time (2007-2010) when I had a lot of confidence at this competition. With a win and two runner-up finishes in the span of four years, I had reason to be. Then came three years where I wasn't even a factor. Poor performances early in the season took me right out of contention. 2013 was particularly gruesome, as I finished near the bottom of the standings. For all of these reasons, it felt great to challenge for the championship once again in 2014. I finished in 8th place, which is still some distance from the leader, but just to be mathematically alive going into the final round was an accomplishment. I will take some confidence from this season and channel it into next year's competition.
And now, I have 6 months without golf to endure. Ugh!
November 10, 2014
November 01, 2014
Season Finale at Glen Eagle
My last round of the season was on October 29th at Glen Eagle Golf Club. They have 27 holes, but on this occasion, the Original 18 were in play. It was a little chilly and overcast, with an occasional light drizzle. I teed off on the first hole and played the entire round alone. Normally, that helps me focus, but it was hard to do so because of course conditions. Leaves were everywhere, even in fairway landing zones and on the greens. Speaking of greens, they had been aerated, which is to be expected at this time of year. However, there was an inordinate amount of top dressing on some greens, making it near impossible to get the speed correct.
Once again, I focused on the wrist roll during my swing. A few rounds ago, it was working wonders, but it got a little shaky at my last outing. This time, I'm sorry to say, it was a little worse still. With the driver in hand, it produced a few high pop-ups to the left side. Perhaps I wasn't rolling the wrists enough, leaving the club face open at impact. Combine this with my typical outside-in swing path, and the result is not good. I popped up drives on holes #1, #7, and #10. At other times, I caught the ball near the heel of the club, producing an even worse result. That happened on holes #4, #7, and #12. Hole #7 is listed twice because I hit my third from the tee after a particularly horrific attempt. I had some good drives, but they were few and far between.
With irons in hand, the results were better. I shanked a 7-iron off the tee on hole #3, but after taking a penalty and re-teeing, I hit a fabulous one to within 5 feet of the pin. It seems when I miss with this wrist roll, it's always because I fail to execute it fast enough, leaving the face open at impact. This was an extreme case, but when I adjusted, the result was fantastic. I also hit some great recovery shots with the irons. I had to punch a couple of low shots due to tree trouble on hole #2, a par-5. I managed to get near the green after three shots, then pitched and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #4, also a par-5, I hit another pair of punch shots to get to the green in four. The last of these was particularly impressive, threading through a thick strand of tree trunks to find the green edge.
I was shooting 55 at the turn, thanks to a pair of triple-bogeys and a massive blowup on hole #5, a short par-4. My tee shot found a fairway bunker on the right side, and I had trouble getting out and through some trees directly ahead. I took an ugly 9 on that hole. All of this meant I had a lot of work to do on the back nine to salvage a respectable score. Four pars and a birdie helped immensely, as I tallied 41 on the back nine to walk away with an overall score of 96.
I still had some issues with the driver, but I hit it well on holes #11, #13, and #16 – all of which produced pars. While the drives got me off to a good start, it was really the irons that earned those pars. Even when I made bogey, I displayed some nice control with the irons. There were multiple occasions where I had to shape a shot in a particular way, and I managed to do so nicely. On hole #10, I was well left of the fairway, with massive trees blocking out the green. I aimed the 9-iron well left of the green to get over the treetops, looking for a cut to bring the ball back near the putting surface. It worked just as I envisioned. On hole #13, I needed a low hook on my second shot to get around and under some trees and keep the ball in the fairway. I did exactly that. On hole #15, I was right of the fairway, with tall trees blocking the green once again. This time, I hoisted an 8-iron over the treetops, drawing it back to just in front of the green. That one was most impressive of all.
Even when I didn't need to shape a shot, the irons were working well. I hit a nice pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation on hole #11. On hole #14, a par-3, it was a 6-iron off the tee that did the trick, finishing flag high. On hole #16, I hit a wonderful 5-iron that was all over the flag. I let out a yell of satisfaction after that one. I didn't even care about my score or round at that point – I just loved the shot. On hole #17, a short par-3, my pitching wedge was also perfect, setting up a 6-foot birdie putt that I drained with confidence.
In the end, I was happy that I managed to get on track over the back nine. I'm still committed to the wrist roll, even though it's been shaky, at times, over the last two rounds. I just have to remind myself to commit to it. That way, I won't leave the club face open when it strikes the ball.
The season is over. Soon, I'll have to reflect back and write my year-end review.
Score: 96
Putts: 34
Fairways: 1
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
Once again, I focused on the wrist roll during my swing. A few rounds ago, it was working wonders, but it got a little shaky at my last outing. This time, I'm sorry to say, it was a little worse still. With the driver in hand, it produced a few high pop-ups to the left side. Perhaps I wasn't rolling the wrists enough, leaving the club face open at impact. Combine this with my typical outside-in swing path, and the result is not good. I popped up drives on holes #1, #7, and #10. At other times, I caught the ball near the heel of the club, producing an even worse result. That happened on holes #4, #7, and #12. Hole #7 is listed twice because I hit my third from the tee after a particularly horrific attempt. I had some good drives, but they were few and far between.
With irons in hand, the results were better. I shanked a 7-iron off the tee on hole #3, but after taking a penalty and re-teeing, I hit a fabulous one to within 5 feet of the pin. It seems when I miss with this wrist roll, it's always because I fail to execute it fast enough, leaving the face open at impact. This was an extreme case, but when I adjusted, the result was fantastic. I also hit some great recovery shots with the irons. I had to punch a couple of low shots due to tree trouble on hole #2, a par-5. I managed to get near the green after three shots, then pitched and 2-putt for bogey. On hole #4, also a par-5, I hit another pair of punch shots to get to the green in four. The last of these was particularly impressive, threading through a thick strand of tree trunks to find the green edge.
I was shooting 55 at the turn, thanks to a pair of triple-bogeys and a massive blowup on hole #5, a short par-4. My tee shot found a fairway bunker on the right side, and I had trouble getting out and through some trees directly ahead. I took an ugly 9 on that hole. All of this meant I had a lot of work to do on the back nine to salvage a respectable score. Four pars and a birdie helped immensely, as I tallied 41 on the back nine to walk away with an overall score of 96.
I still had some issues with the driver, but I hit it well on holes #11, #13, and #16 – all of which produced pars. While the drives got me off to a good start, it was really the irons that earned those pars. Even when I made bogey, I displayed some nice control with the irons. There were multiple occasions where I had to shape a shot in a particular way, and I managed to do so nicely. On hole #10, I was well left of the fairway, with massive trees blocking out the green. I aimed the 9-iron well left of the green to get over the treetops, looking for a cut to bring the ball back near the putting surface. It worked just as I envisioned. On hole #13, I needed a low hook on my second shot to get around and under some trees and keep the ball in the fairway. I did exactly that. On hole #15, I was right of the fairway, with tall trees blocking the green once again. This time, I hoisted an 8-iron over the treetops, drawing it back to just in front of the green. That one was most impressive of all.
Even when I didn't need to shape a shot, the irons were working well. I hit a nice pitching wedge to reach the green in regulation on hole #11. On hole #14, a par-3, it was a 6-iron off the tee that did the trick, finishing flag high. On hole #16, I hit a wonderful 5-iron that was all over the flag. I let out a yell of satisfaction after that one. I didn't even care about my score or round at that point – I just loved the shot. On hole #17, a short par-3, my pitching wedge was also perfect, setting up a 6-foot birdie putt that I drained with confidence.
In the end, I was happy that I managed to get on track over the back nine. I'm still committed to the wrist roll, even though it's been shaky, at times, over the last two rounds. I just have to remind myself to commit to it. That way, I won't leave the club face open when it strikes the ball.
The season is over. Soon, I'll have to reflect back and write my year-end review.
Score: 96
Putts: 34
Fairways: 1
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
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