It's been a couple of weeks since my last round of the year. Temperatures have fallen and the winter tires are already on the car. Traditionally, that's been the signal for me to sit down and write my year end review. So, without any further ado, here we go.
In last year's review, I described 2014 as a success. After a couple of terrible seasons, I managed not only to stop my game from declining further, but also to return to a semi-respectable level. I'm not talking about anything spectacular, by any means. However, I managed to get my handicap factor down to 19.7 – this after spending a lot of time in the mid twenties. By the same modest standard, I have to say that 2015 was a success as well. My handicap factor currently sits at 17.6 – less than two points off my personal best. In my view, handicap factor is the best indicator of skill, so it feels good to be nearing personal best territory.
I played 40 rounds in 2015, beginning April 28 and ending November 10. That's four fewer rounds than last year, but nine more than in each of the previous three seasons, when my game took a turn for the worse. I need to play frequently in order to stay sharp, and 40 rounds seems to be the magic number. If I can play at least that many over a 6-month season, I should continue to improve. My rounds were played at 32 different courses. Eight of these were the site of two rounds each: Glen Eagle, Mystic, Paris Grand, Bradford Highlands, Piper's Heath, Dragon's Fire, Indian Wells, and Mill Run. The only new course for me this year was Bond Head North. I enjoy playing different courses and was encouraged that my improvement came on a great variety of layouts.
Though handicap factor is the ultimate measure of skill, I was very pleased with another stat this year. Of the 40 rounds played, only three resulted in scores of 100 or more. The century mark has long been the mark of failure for me, and a couple of years ago, I was topping it with regularity. For quite some time, I've been of the opinion that my golf score should never reach triple digits – ever! As a result, it was nice to finally approach that level. One of those 100+ rounds was the first round of the season, played at King's Forest. Considering I hadn't touched a club in over six months before that, I don't even feel too badly about it. The course is no slouch, either.
More than offsetting those poor rounds were five rounds below 90. The best of all was an 84 early in the season at Copetown Woods. It was only my fifth round of the year and it came in a Deepwoods event. Besides setting the stage for a solid Deepwoods campaign, this round may have set the tone for the entire season. Golf is a game of confidence and an early dose of success can go a long way. Mid way through the season, I registered back-to-back rounds of 86 at Dragon's Fire. The second of these was also a Deepwoods event. The first was played in sweltering conditions, with the humidex easily surpassing 40 degrees Celsius. It's remarkable that I finished the round – never mind that I put together one of my best scores. Late in the season, I fired a brilliant 85 at Scenic Woods, followed immediately by a workmanlike 89 at Mill Run.
Though I finished a bit lower or higher a few times, the vast majority of my scores were squarely in the nineties. In fact, my average score was exactly 95. I would prefer to see the average at about 90, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. The nice thing about all these scores in the nineties is that they felt easy to me. All season long, I felt like I could score in that range rather easily, just by putting the ball in play. In other words, I didn't have to bomb the ball, or even hit fairways and greens. All I had to do was reduce the miss hits – balls out of bounds or into hazards, duffed shots, topped balls, etc. I can do that, can't I? Sure I can. Towards the end of the season, this approach had me challenging 90 every time out. My scoring range over the last seven rounds was 85-93 and my average over the same period was 90.2 – nice!
Delving a little more deeply into my average stats reveals improvement across the board. My overall average was down 3.1 strokes from a year earlier. Meanwhile, I averaged 34.9 putts per round, down marginally from 35.3 a year prior. I've always averaged just under 2 putts per hole, so this is no surprise. The way to get my putting numbers down significantly is to improve my pitching and chipping. This year, I hit 6.1 fairways per round, up from 5.3 in 2014. The primary change with the driver was to add a hint of spine rotation, while actually shortening the overall backswing. This keeps the arms from becoming too active and throwing the swing out of plane. Greens in regulation also improved – to 3.7 from just 3.3 last season. The improvements are all slight, but they add up to better scores over the long run. Finally, I averaged exactly 3 penalty strokes per round this year.
I'll finish this review with a look at the Deepwoods championship, which I've already hinted at. I had a great year, finishing with scores of 84, 92, 86, and 93. Both scores in the nineties only ended up that way due to some late collapses. The 92 was at Willow Valley, where I got rattled on the final hole by an approaching storm. The 93 was in the final event at Crosswinds, though the collapse occurred over the last four holes. Playing in the final group, I had the championship in my grasp and let it slip away. I allowed two other players to tie me, forcing a sudden death playoff. On the first playoff hole, I had the advantage after two strokes, but couldn't capitalize due to poor pitching and putting. On the second and deciding playoff hole, the eventual winner earned the title with a timely birdie. It was a bitter loss, but I can't really be disappointed with the overall season. It was great to be right in contention up to the very end. I will have to avenge the loss next year!
November 23, 2015
November 10, 2015
Golfing in The Rain
I booked my last round of the year five days ago, when the forecast was calling for sun, with only a ten percent chance of rain. Ten percent turned into forty, then sixty, then eighty, and finally one hundred. It was a special deal, so I couldn't cancel and get a refund. Since there was nothing I could do about it, I headed out for my scheduled tee time at Indian Wells Golf Club and prepared myself for a relaxing walk in the rain – one which might involve hitting a few golf balls.
There were three cars in the parking lot when I arrived, including mine. I started the round in a light drizzle, which grew into a medium drizzle, then a heavy one. It never let up and eventually became more than a drizzle. The last six holes were a bonafide rainfall, again with no letting up. I didn't bother keeping score, as it would have been meaningless under those conditions. I hit some terrible shots, as one would expect to when you're struggling to keep your grips dry. However, I hit a few nice shots here and there, so I guess the outing was worth it.
It's been a relatively successful season, so I didn't mind finishing this way. Nevertheless, I'm going to miss playing over the next five or six months.
November 05, 2015
Something Different at Bond Head
In earlier visits to The Club at Bond Head, I played the South Course. Back in 2010, when my game was at a pretty good level, I managed to shoot 97 there. In 2012, in the middle of a terrible slump, I got scorched for a score of 115. With my level of play now close to what it was in 2010, I was anxious to get back to the club. This time, however, I tried my luck on the North Course. Most people I've talked to prefer the South for some reason. It may have something to do with the fact that the North has some quirky holes, including a few with fairways that rise steeply up to the greens. I didn't mind these, and overall, I enjoyed the course quite a bit. As on the South Course, the greens on the North are very undulating, which complicates putting greatly, especially if you find yourself above the hole.
The first hole was magical – a textbook par, as they say. I split the fairway with the driver, then hit pitching wedge to the fat of the green. A lag putt to within two feet set up an easy tap-in to finish. With very little exception, my driving of the ball continued this way for the rest of the round. I hit 10 of 13 fairways, employing a swing that was free of any particular thoughts. I basically trusted my swing and let the ball go wherever it may. Most importantly, I didn't let the layout of a hole change my swing. Hole #12, for example, is a par-5 that was playing 467 yards from the blue tees. The tee shot must carry a wide and deep valley, covered in brush. Once I took my stance, I swung as if I had nothing but open, flat land between me and the target. The result was a laser of a drive that left me with 200 yards to the green. After hitting my second shot flag high, 30 yards right of the green, I went on to make a mess of things and finished with double-bogey. The point is, I had my driving dialled in.
Iron play was less steady, featuring a mix of good shots and poor ones. At times, such as on holes #1, 4, 6, and 9, I managed to hit a short iron to reach the green in regulation. You expect to do that almost every time from inside 150 yards, but it's a weakness of mine. I hit some nice long irons, too. On hole #5, a long par-4, I hit a beautiful 4-iron into the green from 190 yards. I had taken a drop after a wayward drive and had to draw the ball to avoid trees on the left.
On hole #8, the hardest on the course, I hit a beautiful 3-iron that barely missed panning out. This is a par-5 that measures 546 yards from the blue tees. It's all uphill to the the green, so the hole plays a lot longer still. After hitting driver, 5-wood, I found myself right of the fairway in some fescue. However, the ball was propped up on the grass, which was laying sideways beneath it. Deep bunkers protect the front of the green and there is no bailout area, so your options are either go for it, or lay up well back. I went for it, and with the ball in the air, it looked like a perfect shot. As it turned out, I came up a couple yards short, hitting the grassy slope above the bunker. The ball hung up in the grass for a second, but then trickled down twelve feet into the bunker. After an amazing out, two putts finished things up for a bogey.
One place where the irons failed me, at times, was off the tee. On holes #3 and #16, par-3 holes measuring 155 and 132 yards respectively, I pulled my irons badly. On #3 this left me in a terrible position, from which I could only manage double-bogey. On #16, the situation was marginally better, and I managed to pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. It's a perplexing thing: my percentages from the same distance are better through the green than they are from the teeing ground. It must be a mental thing.
The way I was driving the ball, and with some serviceable iron play, I really should have broken 90. Unfortunately, my short game was not the best. I had five 3-putts and 38 putts overall. The greens were not in the best shape – they appear to have sustained a lot of traffic recently and were absolutely full of spike marks – but I can't blame that. Bond Head is simply a tough place to putt from any sort of distance. If you're somewhere near the hole, you have a fair chance of walking away with one or two putts. Get out beyond a certain distance, however, and the undulation makes it challenging to read the break and speed. I tallied 44 and 42 putts on earlier visits to the South Course, so I guess I'm starting to learn (and respect) the greens.
The end of the season is here. I'm aiming to play one more round.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
The first hole was magical – a textbook par, as they say. I split the fairway with the driver, then hit pitching wedge to the fat of the green. A lag putt to within two feet set up an easy tap-in to finish. With very little exception, my driving of the ball continued this way for the rest of the round. I hit 10 of 13 fairways, employing a swing that was free of any particular thoughts. I basically trusted my swing and let the ball go wherever it may. Most importantly, I didn't let the layout of a hole change my swing. Hole #12, for example, is a par-5 that was playing 467 yards from the blue tees. The tee shot must carry a wide and deep valley, covered in brush. Once I took my stance, I swung as if I had nothing but open, flat land between me and the target. The result was a laser of a drive that left me with 200 yards to the green. After hitting my second shot flag high, 30 yards right of the green, I went on to make a mess of things and finished with double-bogey. The point is, I had my driving dialled in.
Iron play was less steady, featuring a mix of good shots and poor ones. At times, such as on holes #1, 4, 6, and 9, I managed to hit a short iron to reach the green in regulation. You expect to do that almost every time from inside 150 yards, but it's a weakness of mine. I hit some nice long irons, too. On hole #5, a long par-4, I hit a beautiful 4-iron into the green from 190 yards. I had taken a drop after a wayward drive and had to draw the ball to avoid trees on the left.
On hole #8, the hardest on the course, I hit a beautiful 3-iron that barely missed panning out. This is a par-5 that measures 546 yards from the blue tees. It's all uphill to the the green, so the hole plays a lot longer still. After hitting driver, 5-wood, I found myself right of the fairway in some fescue. However, the ball was propped up on the grass, which was laying sideways beneath it. Deep bunkers protect the front of the green and there is no bailout area, so your options are either go for it, or lay up well back. I went for it, and with the ball in the air, it looked like a perfect shot. As it turned out, I came up a couple yards short, hitting the grassy slope above the bunker. The ball hung up in the grass for a second, but then trickled down twelve feet into the bunker. After an amazing out, two putts finished things up for a bogey.
One place where the irons failed me, at times, was off the tee. On holes #3 and #16, par-3 holes measuring 155 and 132 yards respectively, I pulled my irons badly. On #3 this left me in a terrible position, from which I could only manage double-bogey. On #16, the situation was marginally better, and I managed to pitch on and 2-putt for bogey. It's a perplexing thing: my percentages from the same distance are better through the green than they are from the teeing ground. It must be a mental thing.
The way I was driving the ball, and with some serviceable iron play, I really should have broken 90. Unfortunately, my short game was not the best. I had five 3-putts and 38 putts overall. The greens were not in the best shape – they appear to have sustained a lot of traffic recently and were absolutely full of spike marks – but I can't blame that. Bond Head is simply a tough place to putt from any sort of distance. If you're somewhere near the hole, you have a fair chance of walking away with one or two putts. Get out beyond a certain distance, however, and the undulation makes it challenging to read the break and speed. I tallied 44 and 42 putts on earlier visits to the South Course, so I guess I'm starting to learn (and respect) the greens.
The end of the season is here. I'm aiming to play one more round.
Score: 93
Putts: 38
Fairways: 10
Greens: 5
Penalties: 2
November 02, 2015
November Golf at Mill Run
I played Mill Run a couple of weeks ago and I was back at the Uxbridge area course for another round on November 1st. Scores registered in Ontario from this date forward don't count toward a handicap factor, so I was simply aiming for a low overall score. I ended up with a fairly average score of 94, but that included an 11 on one blowup hole. Had the round counted for handicap purposes, my factor would have actually dipped to 17.3 (down three tenths of a point). As such, I was just glad to play at all in November.
I teed off shortly after noon, with the wind gusting, the sky covered in cloud, and even a bit of rain. My grip got wet and I lost control of the club on my first drive attempt. This put me underneath a tree and after a decent punch shot, I was blocked by another tree near the green. It all led to double-bogey, which was not the way I wanted to start on the Grist nine. By the second hole, the rain had stopped, but the wind persisted. I pulled a drive attempt into a spruce tree immediately ahead of the teeing ground. After a penalty stroke, the next drive attempt was not much better – a big hook shot way left of target. I was cursing the weather and the rough start, duffing a couple shots en route to a score of 11 for this par-5. The chance of a good overall score was effectively gone.
At this point, I just tried to make the best of a bad situation, playing each hole and each shot one at a time. In fact, I was 15 over par for the last 16 holes, for a slightly better than bogey pace. The stretch included a triple-bogey on Grist #6, another par-5. Aside from that, I amassed 2 double-bogeys, 8 bogeys, and 5 pars. I got robbed on those double-bogeys too. The first was on Grind #6, which is among the prettiest on the course. I hit two great opening shots on this par-5, placing the ball in the left fairway, 100 yards from the green. I caught the next shot thin and sailed over the green. That was my own fault, but my ball came to rest right up against the trunk of a pine tree and I had no backswing whatsoever. The second double-bogey was on Grind #8, as a result of my only 3-putt of the day. That green has given me fits in the past and it did so again. The result on both those holes should have been no worse than bogey.
There were a couple of missed putts, also on the Grind nine, that resulted in bogeys, rather than pars. Both were four to five feet in length, with a fair bit of break. On Grind #2, I burned the edge of the cup on the high side. On Grind #7, the ball lipped out violently, also on the high side. The greens were a little faster than I expected for this time of year, but I have no complaints about their condition.
For all the moments of frustration already described, there were just as many moments of brilliance. I hit a beautiful 4-iron off the tee on Grist #3 that was all over the flag. After trouble in a greenside bunker on Grist #4, I recovered miraculously to save bogey. On Grist #5, a 200-yard par-3, I hit a very nice 5-wood through the wind to just in front of the green. On Grist #7 and #8, the 4-iron was once again spectacular. On the former, I hit it out of a fairway bunker to find the green from 175 yards. On the latter, I used the wind to curl my tee shot into the par-3 green, 190 yards away.
Good shots continued on the Grind nine, including a 6-iron into hole #1 from 150 yards. The green is elevated and the wind was in our face, so it was really a nice play. A 3-iron into the green on Grind #2 also stands out as a nice shot. On Grind #3, my driver finally started to join in the fun, as I cut the corner on this dogleg left absolutely perfectly. On Grind #4, a par-3 with an elevated green, I chose the perfect club and was all over the flag. The 5-wood worked like a charm off the tee on Grind #6, while the trusty 4-iron did the same on Grind #7, a par-3.
Too bad I had a rough start adjusting to the weather, but overall, there was plenty to be happy about.
Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I teed off shortly after noon, with the wind gusting, the sky covered in cloud, and even a bit of rain. My grip got wet and I lost control of the club on my first drive attempt. This put me underneath a tree and after a decent punch shot, I was blocked by another tree near the green. It all led to double-bogey, which was not the way I wanted to start on the Grist nine. By the second hole, the rain had stopped, but the wind persisted. I pulled a drive attempt into a spruce tree immediately ahead of the teeing ground. After a penalty stroke, the next drive attempt was not much better – a big hook shot way left of target. I was cursing the weather and the rough start, duffing a couple shots en route to a score of 11 for this par-5. The chance of a good overall score was effectively gone.
At this point, I just tried to make the best of a bad situation, playing each hole and each shot one at a time. In fact, I was 15 over par for the last 16 holes, for a slightly better than bogey pace. The stretch included a triple-bogey on Grist #6, another par-5. Aside from that, I amassed 2 double-bogeys, 8 bogeys, and 5 pars. I got robbed on those double-bogeys too. The first was on Grind #6, which is among the prettiest on the course. I hit two great opening shots on this par-5, placing the ball in the left fairway, 100 yards from the green. I caught the next shot thin and sailed over the green. That was my own fault, but my ball came to rest right up against the trunk of a pine tree and I had no backswing whatsoever. The second double-bogey was on Grind #8, as a result of my only 3-putt of the day. That green has given me fits in the past and it did so again. The result on both those holes should have been no worse than bogey.
There were a couple of missed putts, also on the Grind nine, that resulted in bogeys, rather than pars. Both were four to five feet in length, with a fair bit of break. On Grind #2, I burned the edge of the cup on the high side. On Grind #7, the ball lipped out violently, also on the high side. The greens were a little faster than I expected for this time of year, but I have no complaints about their condition.
For all the moments of frustration already described, there were just as many moments of brilliance. I hit a beautiful 4-iron off the tee on Grist #3 that was all over the flag. After trouble in a greenside bunker on Grist #4, I recovered miraculously to save bogey. On Grist #5, a 200-yard par-3, I hit a very nice 5-wood through the wind to just in front of the green. On Grist #7 and #8, the 4-iron was once again spectacular. On the former, I hit it out of a fairway bunker to find the green from 175 yards. On the latter, I used the wind to curl my tee shot into the par-3 green, 190 yards away.
Good shots continued on the Grind nine, including a 6-iron into hole #1 from 150 yards. The green is elevated and the wind was in our face, so it was really a nice play. A 3-iron into the green on Grind #2 also stands out as a nice shot. On Grind #3, my driver finally started to join in the fun, as I cut the corner on this dogleg left absolutely perfectly. On Grind #4, a par-3 with an elevated green, I chose the perfect club and was all over the flag. The 5-wood worked like a charm off the tee on Grind #6, while the trusty 4-iron did the same on Grind #7, a par-3.
Too bad I had a rough start adjusting to the weather, but overall, there was plenty to be happy about.
Score: 94
Putts: 34
Fairways: 4
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
October 27, 2015
No So Bitter at Pheasant Run
I hadn't played at Pheasant Run since October 2009. Back then, they ran a fall special known as The Bitter End. As the name implies, the idea was for golfers to squeeze every possible round into the tail end of the season, weather be damned. The bitter end promotion may be gone, but my motivation was the same. I ventured out early afternoon, on a day when the temperature was expected to peak at just nine degrees Celsius. It turned out to be a spectacular day. Though the temperature was stuck in the single digits, there was plenty of sunshine and no wind whatsoever. The lack of wind made it very comfortable out there. I played alone and practically had the course all to myself. The course was in good shape, too. The greens had not been aerated, so it was like mid-summer golf.
I started on the Midlands nine, before moving on the the Highlands. If you want to score well on this combination, you have to make hay on Midlands #1 through #5. These holes are shorter than the rest and have a lot more room for error. Once you get to Midlands #6, the thick woods close in on you. Almost all of the Highlands is the same. I did pretty well on the opening stretch, collecting a couple of pars, two bogeys, and a double. The double came on a par-3, after my tee shot missed the green to the right. I made a good stroke with the lob wedge, but the club head slid right under the ball and it travelled half the intended distance. After I pitched on with my third shot, a good putt went for naught, barely missing the hole on the high side.
Though I scored reasonably well on the first five holes, I felt like I let a few strokes get away. Almost all of them were putts. I already described what happened on the par-3. Prior to that, I missed a very similar putt for birdie. They say when you miss on the high side that you've missed on the “pro” side. That may be the case, but a miss is a miss, no matter what. They all sting. Immediately after the par-3, I reached a green in regulation, only to 3-putt. Those sting even more! Even a 1-putt for par on the very next hole wasn't enough to erase the pain.
Midlands #6 is a par-5 measuring 451 yards from the white tees. Golfers tee off from an elevated teeing area to a fairway that bends slightly to the left. I struck a beauty, finishing on the right edge of the fairway, 180 yards from the green. Though it was only 180 yards away, going for the green in two is a little risky, because the green is situated on the side of a steep hill, with long fescue above and below on either side, plus a depression directly in front. The ball wasn't flying as far as it does in warmer weather, so I went for it with a 3-iron. I favoured the right side, as the left is certain death if you miss. I hit a good shot, but the ball got caught up just two feet into the fescue above the green. I chopped the ball out of there, but after it hit the green it kept rolling and rolling...right off the other side. I had to pitch to the green 10 feet above me, then 2-putt for bogey. Sigh.
That bogey was a little disappointing after I began the hole with two very good shots, but I put it out of mind and proceeded to the next hole. Midlands #7 is a 145-yard par-3. It was playing more like 165 yards in the colder weather, so I had to make sure to select the right club. I hit a beauty right near the flag, leaving 8 feet for birdie. Unfortunately, the ball stopped right on the edge of the cup and I settled for par. It's a good thing too, because the last two holes on the Midlands nine are really tough.
Hole #8 is rated as the #5 handicap, but that's misleading. With forest on both sides of the fairway, you simply can't miss anywhere. The green is perched on a bit of a shelf and tucked behind the trees on the right. Hole #9 is the #1 handicap and rightly so. The fairway landing area is bordered by water on one side and forest on the other. If you manage to find it, your next shot has to carry some of that water to an open area further ahead. Finally, the green on this par-5 is way up on a hill, 30 feet above the fairway. I finished bogey, double-bogey to make the turn with a score of 44.
The first four holes of Highlands were magical. I played conservatively on hole #1, a par-5, striping my ball safely through the forest and toward the green. A decent chip gave me a chance at par, but I was satisfied with bogey on this tough hole. On each of the next three holes, I went up and down from beside the green to make par! On hole #2, it was a little chip shot, followed by a five footer. On #3, it was a pitch from the hillside above the green and a 2-foot tap-in. On hole #3, it was a pitch from behind and below the green, followed by a nice 10-footer. Par, par, par. Woohoo!
Highlands #5 put a damper on things, all because of a poor drive. I smother hooked my tee shot into the woods on the left. Miraculously, I found my ball in the leaves, but I didn't have much of a swing and all I could do was get the ball out a few yards. Next, I pulled an iron into the woods up ahead. My ball came backwards and my only option was to chip out sideways into the fairway. From there, I hit a wedge on, then 3-putt for a terrible quadruple-bogey.
I managed bogey on Highlands #6 and #7, which are both par-5 holes. My drives straightened out again and I advanced the ball well with the irons. Only my putter let me down. Once again, I burned the edge on a couple of par putts. To finish the round, I made a spectacular approach shot into Highlands #9 green. My tee shot had gone into the left rough, leaving some tall pine trees between me and the target. I was 150 yards away, which is normally an 8-iron. Since the balls weren't flying, I needed a 6-iron to cover the distance. Unfortunately, that brought the risk that I wouldn't clear the very high pines that were in my way. To complicate things, I was on a bit of a side hill lie. I committed fully to the shot and went for it. I opened the club face to get a tad more loft and it was perfect. The ball jumped up, right on line, and was headed for the top of the pines. It cleared them by no more than two feet as I held my breath. I crouched down to get a view of the ball beyond the pines. It dropped just ahead of a bunker and onto the green, flag high! Shot of the day, for sure. I made a good attempt at birdie, but settled for an easy par.
Now here's the best part. With a slope of 131, this was technically the toughest course I played all year. The final score of 90 (on a par 73) was good enough to lower my handicap factor from 18.0 to 17.6, which is less than two points off my personal best. I may only play one or two more rounds this year, but those will be in November. As such, those scores won't count for my official handicap. All this means that I will remain at 17.6 over the winter months. I set a goal to get below 18 this year, so now I've done it!
Score: 90
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
I started on the Midlands nine, before moving on the the Highlands. If you want to score well on this combination, you have to make hay on Midlands #1 through #5. These holes are shorter than the rest and have a lot more room for error. Once you get to Midlands #6, the thick woods close in on you. Almost all of the Highlands is the same. I did pretty well on the opening stretch, collecting a couple of pars, two bogeys, and a double. The double came on a par-3, after my tee shot missed the green to the right. I made a good stroke with the lob wedge, but the club head slid right under the ball and it travelled half the intended distance. After I pitched on with my third shot, a good putt went for naught, barely missing the hole on the high side.
Though I scored reasonably well on the first five holes, I felt like I let a few strokes get away. Almost all of them were putts. I already described what happened on the par-3. Prior to that, I missed a very similar putt for birdie. They say when you miss on the high side that you've missed on the “pro” side. That may be the case, but a miss is a miss, no matter what. They all sting. Immediately after the par-3, I reached a green in regulation, only to 3-putt. Those sting even more! Even a 1-putt for par on the very next hole wasn't enough to erase the pain.
Midlands #6 is a par-5 measuring 451 yards from the white tees. Golfers tee off from an elevated teeing area to a fairway that bends slightly to the left. I struck a beauty, finishing on the right edge of the fairway, 180 yards from the green. Though it was only 180 yards away, going for the green in two is a little risky, because the green is situated on the side of a steep hill, with long fescue above and below on either side, plus a depression directly in front. The ball wasn't flying as far as it does in warmer weather, so I went for it with a 3-iron. I favoured the right side, as the left is certain death if you miss. I hit a good shot, but the ball got caught up just two feet into the fescue above the green. I chopped the ball out of there, but after it hit the green it kept rolling and rolling...right off the other side. I had to pitch to the green 10 feet above me, then 2-putt for bogey. Sigh.
That bogey was a little disappointing after I began the hole with two very good shots, but I put it out of mind and proceeded to the next hole. Midlands #7 is a 145-yard par-3. It was playing more like 165 yards in the colder weather, so I had to make sure to select the right club. I hit a beauty right near the flag, leaving 8 feet for birdie. Unfortunately, the ball stopped right on the edge of the cup and I settled for par. It's a good thing too, because the last two holes on the Midlands nine are really tough.
Hole #8 is rated as the #5 handicap, but that's misleading. With forest on both sides of the fairway, you simply can't miss anywhere. The green is perched on a bit of a shelf and tucked behind the trees on the right. Hole #9 is the #1 handicap and rightly so. The fairway landing area is bordered by water on one side and forest on the other. If you manage to find it, your next shot has to carry some of that water to an open area further ahead. Finally, the green on this par-5 is way up on a hill, 30 feet above the fairway. I finished bogey, double-bogey to make the turn with a score of 44.
The first four holes of Highlands were magical. I played conservatively on hole #1, a par-5, striping my ball safely through the forest and toward the green. A decent chip gave me a chance at par, but I was satisfied with bogey on this tough hole. On each of the next three holes, I went up and down from beside the green to make par! On hole #2, it was a little chip shot, followed by a five footer. On #3, it was a pitch from the hillside above the green and a 2-foot tap-in. On hole #3, it was a pitch from behind and below the green, followed by a nice 10-footer. Par, par, par. Woohoo!
Highlands #5 put a damper on things, all because of a poor drive. I smother hooked my tee shot into the woods on the left. Miraculously, I found my ball in the leaves, but I didn't have much of a swing and all I could do was get the ball out a few yards. Next, I pulled an iron into the woods up ahead. My ball came backwards and my only option was to chip out sideways into the fairway. From there, I hit a wedge on, then 3-putt for a terrible quadruple-bogey.
I managed bogey on Highlands #6 and #7, which are both par-5 holes. My drives straightened out again and I advanced the ball well with the irons. Only my putter let me down. Once again, I burned the edge on a couple of par putts. To finish the round, I made a spectacular approach shot into Highlands #9 green. My tee shot had gone into the left rough, leaving some tall pine trees between me and the target. I was 150 yards away, which is normally an 8-iron. Since the balls weren't flying, I needed a 6-iron to cover the distance. Unfortunately, that brought the risk that I wouldn't clear the very high pines that were in my way. To complicate things, I was on a bit of a side hill lie. I committed fully to the shot and went for it. I opened the club face to get a tad more loft and it was perfect. The ball jumped up, right on line, and was headed for the top of the pines. It cleared them by no more than two feet as I held my breath. I crouched down to get a view of the ball beyond the pines. It dropped just ahead of a bunker and onto the green, flag high! Shot of the day, for sure. I made a good attempt at birdie, but settled for an easy par.
Now here's the best part. With a slope of 131, this was technically the toughest course I played all year. The final score of 90 (on a par 73) was good enough to lower my handicap factor from 18.0 to 17.6, which is less than two points off my personal best. I may only play one or two more rounds this year, but those will be in November. As such, those scores won't count for my official handicap. All this means that I will remain at 17.6 over the winter months. I set a goal to get below 18 this year, so now I've done it!
Score: 90
Putts: 35
Fairways: 5
Greens: 4
Penalties: 2
October 23, 2015
Hungry Like The Wolf
Fall golf is great in many ways: fewer people on the course, crisp air, and the spectacular backdrop of brightly coloured foliage. The downside, of course, is that course conditions make it tougher to score well. Aerated greens are perhaps the biggest impediment, but that's simply the way it goes. Such was the case for my latest round of golf, played near the shores of Lake Scugog, at Wolf Run Golf Club. It's a very decent track, but getting there from Toronto is a royal pain. I routinely play a few courses that are farther away, but they're easier to reach because they're closer to major highways. I figured it would be a nice drive through the countryside this time of year, so I paid my second ever visit to the course.
Playing the back nine first, I began in excellent fashion. Hole #10 is a 569-yard par-5 that began driver, 5-wood, sand wedge, and finished with a greenside pitch and tap-in for par. Hole #11 is a par-3 that was playing 170 yards. Wind was a factor, but I judged it perfectly, nailing the green and very nearly making birdie. A tap-in gave me another easy par. Hole #12 is a long par-4 to begin with. At 435 yards, it was playing much longer, with a very stiff headwind. I hit driver, 5-wood, and was still 30 yards short of the green. Those two shots were pure, too. My pitch shot was pulled a bit, but I 2-putt for a well earned bogey.
The rest of the back nine wasn't so smooth. Bunker trouble and a sculled chip led to double-bogey on hole #13. The next hole produced bogey, but I missed a straight 4-foot putt for par. I blame the greens for that one. The ball was wiggling side to side, due to the aeration holes. Hole #15 was the real disaster, as I took a quadruple- bogey. After failing to emerge from a chute near the teeing ground, I was forced to play my third shot from the tee. Lo and behold, I ended up stymied, behind a small tree right of the fairway. I had a chance to save a stroke with the putter, but the bumpy greens didn't cooperate.
I had another wasted tee shot on hole #16, as well as a 3-putt (damn greens), en route to a double-bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I simply mis-hit two iron shots in a row. Fortunately, I managed to collect a par on hole #18, a par-5. That gave me a score of 48 at the turn. Not good, but I've had worse.
I started the front nine as hot as I started the back. I collected pars on hole #1, a 569-yard par3, and hole #2, a 170-yard par-3. The latter was particularly satisfying, as a couple of players had just let me through. They waited on the tee as I struck a marvellous 5-iron into the wind. Then they watched as I quickly 2-putt like it was never in doubt. LOL. Hole #3 began with a poor drive, but I recovered as well as can be expected, with a bogey.
Now, perhaps the best shot of the day was my drive on hole #4. This is a 305-yard par-4, but don't let the distance fool you. Woods protect the entire left side, while more woods pinch in tremendously on the right side. Golfers must decide if they want to thread a low trajectory shot through the opening, or take the ball high over the woods on the right, as the fairway opens up in behind. On my last visit, I made a mess of this hole, with multiple excursions into the woods.
This time, I lined up to take the ball over the right side and swung easily. The result was a laser, directly over the trees on the right, which found the end of the fairway. Much longer, and the ball would have run into a water hazard in front of the green, so this was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, my next shot over the water, with the lob wedge, was a few yards short. I duffed, then sculled a pair of chips, then 2-putt for double. What a waste!
I had a little more trouble the rest of the way, but I was also mixing in a lot of great shots. My drive on hole #5 was spectacular, but the subsequent 5-wood smacked a tiny tree that stands right in the middle of the wide fairway. Aargh! This led to double-bogey. That's OK, as I rattled off a bogey and two consecutive pars over the next three holes. My 9-iron on hole #7, a par 3 through a chute of trees, was really, really good. It's very easy to get intimidated by all those trees.
I messed up near the green on the last hole of the day, by duffing, then sculling two consecutive chip attempts. The grass and the ground underneath was very inconsistent, so I had very different lies to work with. I was guessing how the sole of the club would react, and I obviously guessed wrong. Oh well, that's the way it goes.
Score: 93
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
Playing the back nine first, I began in excellent fashion. Hole #10 is a 569-yard par-5 that began driver, 5-wood, sand wedge, and finished with a greenside pitch and tap-in for par. Hole #11 is a par-3 that was playing 170 yards. Wind was a factor, but I judged it perfectly, nailing the green and very nearly making birdie. A tap-in gave me another easy par. Hole #12 is a long par-4 to begin with. At 435 yards, it was playing much longer, with a very stiff headwind. I hit driver, 5-wood, and was still 30 yards short of the green. Those two shots were pure, too. My pitch shot was pulled a bit, but I 2-putt for a well earned bogey.
The rest of the back nine wasn't so smooth. Bunker trouble and a sculled chip led to double-bogey on hole #13. The next hole produced bogey, but I missed a straight 4-foot putt for par. I blame the greens for that one. The ball was wiggling side to side, due to the aeration holes. Hole #15 was the real disaster, as I took a quadruple- bogey. After failing to emerge from a chute near the teeing ground, I was forced to play my third shot from the tee. Lo and behold, I ended up stymied, behind a small tree right of the fairway. I had a chance to save a stroke with the putter, but the bumpy greens didn't cooperate.
I had another wasted tee shot on hole #16, as well as a 3-putt (damn greens), en route to a double-bogey. On hole #17, a short par-3, I simply mis-hit two iron shots in a row. Fortunately, I managed to collect a par on hole #18, a par-5. That gave me a score of 48 at the turn. Not good, but I've had worse.
I started the front nine as hot as I started the back. I collected pars on hole #1, a 569-yard par3, and hole #2, a 170-yard par-3. The latter was particularly satisfying, as a couple of players had just let me through. They waited on the tee as I struck a marvellous 5-iron into the wind. Then they watched as I quickly 2-putt like it was never in doubt. LOL. Hole #3 began with a poor drive, but I recovered as well as can be expected, with a bogey.
Now, perhaps the best shot of the day was my drive on hole #4. This is a 305-yard par-4, but don't let the distance fool you. Woods protect the entire left side, while more woods pinch in tremendously on the right side. Golfers must decide if they want to thread a low trajectory shot through the opening, or take the ball high over the woods on the right, as the fairway opens up in behind. On my last visit, I made a mess of this hole, with multiple excursions into the woods.
This time, I lined up to take the ball over the right side and swung easily. The result was a laser, directly over the trees on the right, which found the end of the fairway. Much longer, and the ball would have run into a water hazard in front of the green, so this was absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, my next shot over the water, with the lob wedge, was a few yards short. I duffed, then sculled a pair of chips, then 2-putt for double. What a waste!
I had a little more trouble the rest of the way, but I was also mixing in a lot of great shots. My drive on hole #5 was spectacular, but the subsequent 5-wood smacked a tiny tree that stands right in the middle of the wide fairway. Aargh! This led to double-bogey. That's OK, as I rattled off a bogey and two consecutive pars over the next three holes. My 9-iron on hole #7, a par 3 through a chute of trees, was really, really good. It's very easy to get intimidated by all those trees.
I messed up near the green on the last hole of the day, by duffing, then sculling two consecutive chip attempts. The grass and the ground underneath was very inconsistent, so I had very different lies to work with. I was guessing how the sole of the club would react, and I obviously guessed wrong. Oh well, that's the way it goes.
Score: 93
Putts: 37
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 1
October 21, 2015
Flamborough Greens Get Testy
At this time of year, you scrutinize the weather forecast, looking for a window of opportunity to play some golf. When there's no chance of rain, it seems like temperatures are at their lowest. When the mercury jumps up to a comfortable range, it seems like the threat of showers rears its ugly head. I managed to get out on a day when temperatures were quite good. Some rain was expected, but only after my round would be complete.
Unfortunately, weather is not the only thing that deteriorates this late in the season. Course conditions, particularly on the greens, become hit or miss. A lot of courses aerate the ground right around this time. It's a mere nuisance on the tees and fairways, but it's a real pain on the greens. Considering that Flamborough Hills had their greens aerated recently, they really weren't bad at all. Nevertheless, putting on an aerated surface is never like putting on unpunched greens. The greens at Flamborough were not receptive to approach shots, even high lofted ones. The grass itself, along with the top dressing, made the greens rather slick. I also found there were a lot of pine needles on most of the greens.
I'm going to blame the greens for my unimpressive putting. I tallied 39 putts in total, including four 3-putts. Had it not been for the poor putting performance, I would have certainly broken 90 for my third consecutive round. I drove the ball well and hit many nice iron shots. When I made an error every now and then, I followed up with some remarkable recovery shots. Many of these were punch shots below tree limbs that had to bounce through the rough in order to trickle onto the green.
I began on the Woods – the first time I had played this set of nine holes at Flamborough. At the start, it looked like this could be an epic round. I registered par on the first three holes – a par-5, followed by a par-3, and then a par-4. With all the bases covered like that, why wouldn't I be hopeful of a great round? I hit fairways and all three greens in regulation. My approach shots were particularly good. Hole #2 is a par-3 that's all carry over water and I judged the wind and distance perfectly, nailing the green below and just right of the hole.
Woods #4 is a lengthy par-4 at 445 yards. With the wind at my back though, distance was no problem. I had 170 yards into the green for my second shot, and I was barely in the right rough. The bigger problem was a huge tree, right in front of the green. You have to hit a really high shot to get over it, which would be more realistic from a shorter distance with a more lofted club. I tried to manipulate the face too much and ended up with a mis-hit that struck the tree trunk and deflected to the right. Fortunately, I made a great punch onto the green and 2-putt for bogey.
Woods #5 is a long par-3 that was playing right into the wind. I was probably thinking about the wind too much and flared my 3-iron short and to the right. I was on the side of a huge mound with the ball above my knees. I choked down so much on my club that my hands were off the grip. Nevertheless, I managed to thread the ball through some trees toward the green. The first bounce was in front of the green, but the ball had enough speed to roll right off the other side, into a bunker. I made a good out, but then collected my first 3-putt of the day for a disastrous triple-bogey.
Woods #6 was back in the other direction, which meant a helping wind. I had no real trouble on this hole and collected a bogey after a mediocre greenside chip and two putts. Unfortunately, Woods #7 was back into the teeth of the wind. This par-4, at 453 yards, is even longer than #4. With the wind in my face, the hole was playing beastly! I hit a pretty good drive and was still 250 yards away from the green. I made a mistake on my second shot, sending the ball left into an opposite fairway. It was a scramble to fly over some tall trees, chip on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Woods #8 and #9 produced a pair of bogeys, for a score of 45 at the turn. My drive on the latter was particularly good, leaving just 35 yards into the green on this short par-4. I had to pitch over a depression fronting the small green and did so perfectly with the lob wedge. Despite the great shot, my ball released off the back and into the fringe. Sure enough, I went on to 3-putt.
Following the Woods, I proceeded to the Hills nine. I started to get a little more erratic, forcing a bunch of recovery shots. I hit beautiful punch shots on Hills #2, #3, and #4 to save double-bogey and a couple of bogeys. The one on #4 was particularly good, as I had to keep the ball low to avoid tree limbs and on line to avoid tree trunks. I used the rough to slow my ball and the contour of the ground to direct it back to the green. It was nice stuff. On Hills #6, another recovery shot into the green was of the aerial variety. I wasted that good shot by following up with a 3-putt for double-bogey.
On Hills #7, a par-5, I once again exhibited my punch shot prowess. My second shot was pulled left of the fairway half way up a sloped section of ground. I had to get the ball up to clear the top of the mound, but tree limbs were severely limiting how high I could go. I only had small opening to the green 100 yards away. To the right side, the opening was a little bigger, but not by much.
As I surveyed that part of the opening, I noticed it was aligned with a mound on the right side of the green. I calculated that if I could punch the ball to the right side of the opening, I could stay under the tree limbs and my ball had a good chance of kicking left off the greenside mound, right on the putting surface. I was discussing all this with my playing partner and two members of the grounds crew, who happened to be working right at that spot. I called the shot, and immediately executed it exactly as called. What a beauty! Everyone was impressed, which felt good. I went on to par the hole.
I also made par on the next hole, a 243-yard par-3! Yes, you read that correctly. My tee shot was to an opposite fairway, but I hit a 60-yard pitch over some tall trees to just below the hole and drained the subsequent 8-footer. It set me up to finish with a score of 91, or 18 over par on Hills/Woods, which is actually a par 73. It's too bad about the 3-putts, as they cost me a sub-90 round.
Score: 91
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
Unfortunately, weather is not the only thing that deteriorates this late in the season. Course conditions, particularly on the greens, become hit or miss. A lot of courses aerate the ground right around this time. It's a mere nuisance on the tees and fairways, but it's a real pain on the greens. Considering that Flamborough Hills had their greens aerated recently, they really weren't bad at all. Nevertheless, putting on an aerated surface is never like putting on unpunched greens. The greens at Flamborough were not receptive to approach shots, even high lofted ones. The grass itself, along with the top dressing, made the greens rather slick. I also found there were a lot of pine needles on most of the greens.
I'm going to blame the greens for my unimpressive putting. I tallied 39 putts in total, including four 3-putts. Had it not been for the poor putting performance, I would have certainly broken 90 for my third consecutive round. I drove the ball well and hit many nice iron shots. When I made an error every now and then, I followed up with some remarkable recovery shots. Many of these were punch shots below tree limbs that had to bounce through the rough in order to trickle onto the green.
I began on the Woods – the first time I had played this set of nine holes at Flamborough. At the start, it looked like this could be an epic round. I registered par on the first three holes – a par-5, followed by a par-3, and then a par-4. With all the bases covered like that, why wouldn't I be hopeful of a great round? I hit fairways and all three greens in regulation. My approach shots were particularly good. Hole #2 is a par-3 that's all carry over water and I judged the wind and distance perfectly, nailing the green below and just right of the hole.
Woods #4 is a lengthy par-4 at 445 yards. With the wind at my back though, distance was no problem. I had 170 yards into the green for my second shot, and I was barely in the right rough. The bigger problem was a huge tree, right in front of the green. You have to hit a really high shot to get over it, which would be more realistic from a shorter distance with a more lofted club. I tried to manipulate the face too much and ended up with a mis-hit that struck the tree trunk and deflected to the right. Fortunately, I made a great punch onto the green and 2-putt for bogey.
Woods #5 is a long par-3 that was playing right into the wind. I was probably thinking about the wind too much and flared my 3-iron short and to the right. I was on the side of a huge mound with the ball above my knees. I choked down so much on my club that my hands were off the grip. Nevertheless, I managed to thread the ball through some trees toward the green. The first bounce was in front of the green, but the ball had enough speed to roll right off the other side, into a bunker. I made a good out, but then collected my first 3-putt of the day for a disastrous triple-bogey.
Woods #6 was back in the other direction, which meant a helping wind. I had no real trouble on this hole and collected a bogey after a mediocre greenside chip and two putts. Unfortunately, Woods #7 was back into the teeth of the wind. This par-4, at 453 yards, is even longer than #4. With the wind in my face, the hole was playing beastly! I hit a pretty good drive and was still 250 yards away from the green. I made a mistake on my second shot, sending the ball left into an opposite fairway. It was a scramble to fly over some tall trees, chip on and 2-putt for double-bogey.
Woods #8 and #9 produced a pair of bogeys, for a score of 45 at the turn. My drive on the latter was particularly good, leaving just 35 yards into the green on this short par-4. I had to pitch over a depression fronting the small green and did so perfectly with the lob wedge. Despite the great shot, my ball released off the back and into the fringe. Sure enough, I went on to 3-putt.
Following the Woods, I proceeded to the Hills nine. I started to get a little more erratic, forcing a bunch of recovery shots. I hit beautiful punch shots on Hills #2, #3, and #4 to save double-bogey and a couple of bogeys. The one on #4 was particularly good, as I had to keep the ball low to avoid tree limbs and on line to avoid tree trunks. I used the rough to slow my ball and the contour of the ground to direct it back to the green. It was nice stuff. On Hills #6, another recovery shot into the green was of the aerial variety. I wasted that good shot by following up with a 3-putt for double-bogey.
On Hills #7, a par-5, I once again exhibited my punch shot prowess. My second shot was pulled left of the fairway half way up a sloped section of ground. I had to get the ball up to clear the top of the mound, but tree limbs were severely limiting how high I could go. I only had small opening to the green 100 yards away. To the right side, the opening was a little bigger, but not by much.
As I surveyed that part of the opening, I noticed it was aligned with a mound on the right side of the green. I calculated that if I could punch the ball to the right side of the opening, I could stay under the tree limbs and my ball had a good chance of kicking left off the greenside mound, right on the putting surface. I was discussing all this with my playing partner and two members of the grounds crew, who happened to be working right at that spot. I called the shot, and immediately executed it exactly as called. What a beauty! Everyone was impressed, which felt good. I went on to par the hole.
I also made par on the next hole, a 243-yard par-3! Yes, you read that correctly. My tee shot was to an opposite fairway, but I hit a 60-yard pitch over some tall trees to just below the hole and drained the subsequent 8-footer. It set me up to finish with a score of 91, or 18 over par on Hills/Woods, which is actually a par 73. It's too bad about the 3-putts, as they cost me a sub-90 round.
Score: 91
Putts: 39
Fairways: 5
Greens: 6
Penalties: 0
October 15, 2015
Mill Run Outing Tips the Scales
My handicap factor hasn't been below 18 for at least five years. In fact, it ballooned to as high as 26.5 during the same period. After my latest round at Mill Run Golf Club, I'm happy to say that my handicap is once again below 18. If you're an 18 handicap, you're a true bogey golfer. Getting below this threshold is an important milestone; it gives you the feeling that you could be better than a bogey golfer. It brings you one step closer to 15, then 12, and so on. The next major milestone is 9, when you can call yourself a single digit handicap, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's a long road to that point, so let's just enjoy the current achievement.
I last played Mill Run in September 2014 on a cold, windy day. Navigating my way through the Grind and Grist nines, I finished that day with a score of 101. This time around, the weather wasn't much better. Playing as a single helped greatly, however, as I was able to move around the course very quickly. This allowed me to stay warm throughout. By the middle of the round, the sun also came out and warmed everything up by a couple of degrees. Playing the Grind and Grist nines once again, I managed to finish with a tidy score of 89. It was the second time in a row that I broke 90, and my fifth time this year.
The Grind got off to a marvellous start, thanks to a pair of bogeys, followed by three consecutive pars. The pars played out in very similar fashion, with an approach shot just off the green, followed by an excellent chip and a single putt. What a difference it makes when you can pitch and chip the ball close!
Holes #6 through #8 on Grind were my worst of the day, producing a pair of double-bogeys and a triple. The first of these started so promisingly when I hit a pinpoint 5-wood off the tee. This was followed by a mid iron to the 100-yard stick. I chose sand wedge for the approach into the par-5 green, but should have added more club. There was a tailwind, but due to the cold temperatures, the ball was not flying anywhere near normal distance. I came up short and then had some trouble on a slick section of green, 3-putting for a double.
I made the turn with a score of 46 and headed for The Grist. With a wide open fairway on Grist #1, I can't believe I found the fairway bunker on the right side. I had some lip trouble and only managed to get the ball short and right of the green. I had to punch under a huge tree and did so perfectly. The ball bounced into a mound and looked to roll very near the pin, which was positioned at the back of the green. Unfortunately, it had enough speed to roll right off the green. Despite a good chip, the ball rolled well past the hole on the quick surface. A very good putt almost saved bogey, but a tap-in was needed for double.
After this, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way, with 2 pars and 6 bogeys on the remainder of Grist. I was in control of my drives and the long irons were piercing through the wind when I needed them to. I got out of a few bunkers, both fairway and greenside, with relative ease. Last, but certainly not least, I was making some putts. When your driver, irons and short game are all working pretty well, what more can you ask for?
On the last hole, I piped a drive deep and to the centre of the fairway from the elevated tee. I took a look around to make sure nobody was watching, then raised both arms in the air in a mini celebration. Little moments like this are the reason I love golf so much. That feeling when you strike a ball purely, regardless of the outcome for the hole, is simply incredible. As it turns out, I thinned my approach into the green from 105 yards, leaving myself on the green, but extremely far from the hole. I almost made the 2-putt, but had to settle for bogey. It was my only 3-putt of the day.
And with this outing, 17.9 is my new handicap factor. Clawing my way back hasn't been easy and I'm not done yet. I'm still 2.2 points away from my personal best, and my goal is to go even lower than that. Let's set 15 as the next goal, starting now!
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 0
I last played Mill Run in September 2014 on a cold, windy day. Navigating my way through the Grind and Grist nines, I finished that day with a score of 101. This time around, the weather wasn't much better. Playing as a single helped greatly, however, as I was able to move around the course very quickly. This allowed me to stay warm throughout. By the middle of the round, the sun also came out and warmed everything up by a couple of degrees. Playing the Grind and Grist nines once again, I managed to finish with a tidy score of 89. It was the second time in a row that I broke 90, and my fifth time this year.
The Grind got off to a marvellous start, thanks to a pair of bogeys, followed by three consecutive pars. The pars played out in very similar fashion, with an approach shot just off the green, followed by an excellent chip and a single putt. What a difference it makes when you can pitch and chip the ball close!
Holes #6 through #8 on Grind were my worst of the day, producing a pair of double-bogeys and a triple. The first of these started so promisingly when I hit a pinpoint 5-wood off the tee. This was followed by a mid iron to the 100-yard stick. I chose sand wedge for the approach into the par-5 green, but should have added more club. There was a tailwind, but due to the cold temperatures, the ball was not flying anywhere near normal distance. I came up short and then had some trouble on a slick section of green, 3-putting for a double.
I made the turn with a score of 46 and headed for The Grist. With a wide open fairway on Grist #1, I can't believe I found the fairway bunker on the right side. I had some lip trouble and only managed to get the ball short and right of the green. I had to punch under a huge tree and did so perfectly. The ball bounced into a mound and looked to roll very near the pin, which was positioned at the back of the green. Unfortunately, it had enough speed to roll right off the green. Despite a good chip, the ball rolled well past the hole on the quick surface. A very good putt almost saved bogey, but a tap-in was needed for double.
After this, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way, with 2 pars and 6 bogeys on the remainder of Grist. I was in control of my drives and the long irons were piercing through the wind when I needed them to. I got out of a few bunkers, both fairway and greenside, with relative ease. Last, but certainly not least, I was making some putts. When your driver, irons and short game are all working pretty well, what more can you ask for?
On the last hole, I piped a drive deep and to the centre of the fairway from the elevated tee. I took a look around to make sure nobody was watching, then raised both arms in the air in a mini celebration. Little moments like this are the reason I love golf so much. That feeling when you strike a ball purely, regardless of the outcome for the hole, is simply incredible. As it turns out, I thinned my approach into the green from 105 yards, leaving myself on the green, but extremely far from the hole. I almost made the 2-putt, but had to settle for bogey. It was my only 3-putt of the day.
And with this outing, 17.9 is my new handicap factor. Clawing my way back hasn't been easy and I'm not done yet. I'm still 2.2 points away from my personal best, and my goal is to go even lower than that. Let's set 15 as the next goal, starting now!
Score: 89
Putts: 33
Fairways: 6
Greens: 3
Penalties: 0
October 12, 2015
Scenic Woods Smackdown: Part 2
In late October of 2014, I made my first ever visit to Scenic Woods Golf Club, just south of the Hamilton / Stoney Creek area. It was a bitter cold day, but I put on a clinic, shooting 85 and getting my handicap factor below 20 for the first time in a long time. The performance was also among my Top 10 of all time.
Flash forward to mid October of 2015, when I decided to make my return to Scenic Woods. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with temperatures topping 20 degrees Celsius. It was very windy, but one can't be too picky this time of year. Once again, my performance was masterful. I equalled last year's score of 85, while knocking my handicap down to 18.4 in the process. The round easily joins those in my Top 10, pushing a couple of 86 results that came this year at Dragon's Fire to relative obscurity at positions 11 and 12.
The beautiful thing about this round was the degree of control that was displayed from start to finish. I had just one double-bogey, on a scorecard that was otherwise decorated with 6 pars and 11 bogeys. Too bad about that double – 6 pars and 12 bogeys has an even better ring to it. On hole #7, a par-3 that was playing just 140 yards, I hooked my 9-iron just enough to find a water hazard left of the green. After a penalty stroke, a pitch and two putts produced the offending double.
The opening hole at Scenic Woods is a straightforward par-5. I hit a fabulous drive to the left side, followed by a 5-wood that drifted slightly right. From 60 yards, an excellent shot gave me a chance at birdie. I judged the break perfectly, but came up just short with my putt. I tapped in for the easy par. In fact, I made par on three of the four par-5 holes on the course. Hole #10 was playing straight into a fierce wind, but I reminded myself to swing easily and hit a great drive. The 4-iron that followed was even better, as it pierced through the steady wind. Ultimately, I needed an up and down from beside the green to save par.
The 4-iron also featured prominently on hole #12, another par-5. Once again, it was my second shot and what a thing of beauty it was. Pure, pure contact and a lovely penetrating ball flight. I found the green with the lob wedge and 2-putt for par. Ironically, it was the shortest par-5 (hole #18) where I could only manage bogey. I hit a perfectly placed drive to the left edge of the fairway, leaving just 190 yards into the green for my second shot. Of course, I chose the 4-iron and decided to go for it. Water protects the entire right side, right up to the green, with bunkers on the left. Contact was pure, but the face was slightly open. I missed slightly right, hitting a slope that pushed the ball further right. I was pin high, but stymied by a big evergreen tree. My options were to flop one over the tree or punch one under. I went for the punch, trying to bump the ball into a mound on the edge of the green. Unfortunately, I cleared the mound and flew the green directly, easily skidding off the other side. After a good pitch and 2 putts, bogey was the result.
There were some lovely par-4 holes as well. On hole #6, I opted to drive the ball over a creek that crosses the fairway 125 yards from the green. There was no doubt I had enough distance to clear the hazard, but I struck a lone tree on the right side and actually had my ball bounce backwards. Fortunately, I was in the fairway and the tree branches were not impeding me in the least. I nailed the centre of the green and then 2-putt to finish.
Hole #8 is a short par-4 at just 317 yards. The wind was directly at our back, so I decided to go for it with driver. After a reminder not to overswing, I delivered a beauty right down the pipe. The ball finished just 10 yards off the front of the green! I pitched to within 5 feet, but burned the edge on the birdie try, settling for par. In fact, I barely missed about half a dozen putts. If half of those go in, this would have challenged for my best round ever. The most heartbreaking was a putt that was tracking dead centre, only to finish overhanging the cup on hole #5.
I have to share a few words about hole #11, since it is one of the more unique holes on the course. It's a par-4, but measures only 268 yards from the white tees. You can't go right at the green, as the hole is cut through thick woods and features an almost 90 degree dogleg to the right. The trees are extremely tall and for added measure, there is a creek crossing the fairway 50 yards in front of the green. A lone tree, also quite mature, protects the corner of the dogleg.
I tried to hit a 3-iron straight out past the corner, but the ball came out low and to the right. It actually missed the lone tree on the right side, heading straight to the extreme end of the fairway, right in front of the creek. When I walked up in search of my ball, there it was in the rough fronting the creek, just 60 yards from the flag. You couldn't thread a better shot in there if you tried for a million years. Very fortuitous indeed. I pitched on, leaving a makeable birdie, but this was one of those putts that I barely missed, settling for par.
While reading my blog entry for last year's visit to Scenic Woods, I felt I didn't give the course enough credit. Though I mentioned it featured a lot of nice holes, especially on the back nine, I also stated that I wouldn't go out of my way to return to the course. Having played it again, I have to change that. While the opening three holes are rather featureless, the remainder of the course is really quite well designed. It actually is a fun course, with significant challenge. No doubt, my performance there over two visits has something to do with my opinion, but I still think it's a good layout.
Score: 85
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
Flash forward to mid October of 2015, when I decided to make my return to Scenic Woods. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with temperatures topping 20 degrees Celsius. It was very windy, but one can't be too picky this time of year. Once again, my performance was masterful. I equalled last year's score of 85, while knocking my handicap down to 18.4 in the process. The round easily joins those in my Top 10, pushing a couple of 86 results that came this year at Dragon's Fire to relative obscurity at positions 11 and 12.
The beautiful thing about this round was the degree of control that was displayed from start to finish. I had just one double-bogey, on a scorecard that was otherwise decorated with 6 pars and 11 bogeys. Too bad about that double – 6 pars and 12 bogeys has an even better ring to it. On hole #7, a par-3 that was playing just 140 yards, I hooked my 9-iron just enough to find a water hazard left of the green. After a penalty stroke, a pitch and two putts produced the offending double.
The opening hole at Scenic Woods is a straightforward par-5. I hit a fabulous drive to the left side, followed by a 5-wood that drifted slightly right. From 60 yards, an excellent shot gave me a chance at birdie. I judged the break perfectly, but came up just short with my putt. I tapped in for the easy par. In fact, I made par on three of the four par-5 holes on the course. Hole #10 was playing straight into a fierce wind, but I reminded myself to swing easily and hit a great drive. The 4-iron that followed was even better, as it pierced through the steady wind. Ultimately, I needed an up and down from beside the green to save par.
The 4-iron also featured prominently on hole #12, another par-5. Once again, it was my second shot and what a thing of beauty it was. Pure, pure contact and a lovely penetrating ball flight. I found the green with the lob wedge and 2-putt for par. Ironically, it was the shortest par-5 (hole #18) where I could only manage bogey. I hit a perfectly placed drive to the left edge of the fairway, leaving just 190 yards into the green for my second shot. Of course, I chose the 4-iron and decided to go for it. Water protects the entire right side, right up to the green, with bunkers on the left. Contact was pure, but the face was slightly open. I missed slightly right, hitting a slope that pushed the ball further right. I was pin high, but stymied by a big evergreen tree. My options were to flop one over the tree or punch one under. I went for the punch, trying to bump the ball into a mound on the edge of the green. Unfortunately, I cleared the mound and flew the green directly, easily skidding off the other side. After a good pitch and 2 putts, bogey was the result.
There were some lovely par-4 holes as well. On hole #6, I opted to drive the ball over a creek that crosses the fairway 125 yards from the green. There was no doubt I had enough distance to clear the hazard, but I struck a lone tree on the right side and actually had my ball bounce backwards. Fortunately, I was in the fairway and the tree branches were not impeding me in the least. I nailed the centre of the green and then 2-putt to finish.
Hole #8 is a short par-4 at just 317 yards. The wind was directly at our back, so I decided to go for it with driver. After a reminder not to overswing, I delivered a beauty right down the pipe. The ball finished just 10 yards off the front of the green! I pitched to within 5 feet, but burned the edge on the birdie try, settling for par. In fact, I barely missed about half a dozen putts. If half of those go in, this would have challenged for my best round ever. The most heartbreaking was a putt that was tracking dead centre, only to finish overhanging the cup on hole #5.
I have to share a few words about hole #11, since it is one of the more unique holes on the course. It's a par-4, but measures only 268 yards from the white tees. You can't go right at the green, as the hole is cut through thick woods and features an almost 90 degree dogleg to the right. The trees are extremely tall and for added measure, there is a creek crossing the fairway 50 yards in front of the green. A lone tree, also quite mature, protects the corner of the dogleg.
I tried to hit a 3-iron straight out past the corner, but the ball came out low and to the right. It actually missed the lone tree on the right side, heading straight to the extreme end of the fairway, right in front of the creek. When I walked up in search of my ball, there it was in the rough fronting the creek, just 60 yards from the flag. You couldn't thread a better shot in there if you tried for a million years. Very fortuitous indeed. I pitched on, leaving a makeable birdie, but this was one of those putts that I barely missed, settling for par.
While reading my blog entry for last year's visit to Scenic Woods, I felt I didn't give the course enough credit. Though I mentioned it featured a lot of nice holes, especially on the back nine, I also stated that I wouldn't go out of my way to return to the course. Having played it again, I have to change that. While the opening three holes are rather featureless, the remainder of the course is really quite well designed. It actually is a fun course, with significant challenge. No doubt, my performance there over two visits has something to do with my opinion, but I still think it's a good layout.
Score: 85
Putts: 35
Fairways: 7
Greens: 6
Penalties: 2
October 07, 2015
Rattled at Silver Lakes
I had only played Silver Lakes on two previous occasions – once in 2007, and again in 2009. I enjoyed the course, so I was looking forward to this round. It's also getting late in the season, so each outing takes on greater importance. My handicap factor stalled at 18.5 this year, and I was really hoping to get under 18 by season end.
I play as a single very often, so I get paired up with all kinds of people. Ninety percent of the time, everything is just fine. Whether I play with men or women, young or old, high or low handicappers, I play my own game and enjoy my time on the course. Every once in a while, however, I get paired up with someone whose on-course demeanour just doesn't suit my game.
One of these personality types is the person who discusses technical aspects of the swing. I know from experience that if I have more than one thing to think about during my swing, chances are I'm going to miss a bunch of shots wildly. When that happens, frustration sets in and spills over to other parts of the game, such as chipping and putting. Try as I may to ignore the person's advice, I find it very difficult to do.
So was the case this time around. I played with a really nice guy – very friendly, clearly enjoys the game of golf, and was a good player too. Unfortunately for me, he just had that inclination to comment on my swing flaws after every bad shot. I'm sure he meant well. Having only met me that day, he just didn't know that on-course critiques like that really throw me off.
I started with a great drive, followed by a weak pitching wedge and a series of absolutely horrific pitch and chip attempts. I was short of the green, short again, sculled one over, and finished with a mediocre chip. After two putts, I had a quadruple-bogey – not the way you want to start.
Then the trouble spilled over to full swing shots. I flared a drive on hole #2 into the woods and had to hit my third from the tee. My fourth shot was a 9-iron that failed to clear a pond in front of the green. Penalty stroke, followed by a thin shot that went past the green. A nice pitch got me on the green, but after a pair of putts, I had a quintuple-bogey! Is that even a proper golf term? Sheesh!
The next thing you know, I rattled off back-to-back pars. Both came thanks to some nice up-and-down plays near the green. No sooner was I back on track, when the wheels came off again. I took another quintuple on hole #5, a par-5. I hit a wicked pull off the tee, though the woods spit my ball back out to the rough before the fairway. I duffed one, hit a nice one, duffed another couple, etc.
I didn't give up at this point, though it would have been easy to do so. I made birdie on hole #6, thanks to a pitch in from just off the green. In fact, I had a stretch of just four putts over five holes, as my short game was working well. Even over the front nine, I had just 12 putts. Unfortunately, another blowup on hole #9 pushed my score at the turn to 56 and the chances of a turnaround were slim.
My play on the back nine was less wild, except for a blowup on hole #11, a par-3. My tee shot found a greenside bunker and that's all it took. I hit my usual “clean pick” out of the sand and finished deep in the woods on the opposite side of the green. Triple-bogey was the final damage. On a positive note, I hit a marvelous approach into the last green and managed to save par.
This was only the third time this year that I reached 100 in a round. I was beginning to feel like I had left those scores in my past. Oh well. I do have three scores in the eighties this season, which provide a sort of offset, at least in my mind. After 13 years or so of regular golf, I am a solid 90's player. Break out the champagne! (sarcasm)
Score: 105
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
I play as a single very often, so I get paired up with all kinds of people. Ninety percent of the time, everything is just fine. Whether I play with men or women, young or old, high or low handicappers, I play my own game and enjoy my time on the course. Every once in a while, however, I get paired up with someone whose on-course demeanour just doesn't suit my game.
One of these personality types is the person who discusses technical aspects of the swing. I know from experience that if I have more than one thing to think about during my swing, chances are I'm going to miss a bunch of shots wildly. When that happens, frustration sets in and spills over to other parts of the game, such as chipping and putting. Try as I may to ignore the person's advice, I find it very difficult to do.
So was the case this time around. I played with a really nice guy – very friendly, clearly enjoys the game of golf, and was a good player too. Unfortunately for me, he just had that inclination to comment on my swing flaws after every bad shot. I'm sure he meant well. Having only met me that day, he just didn't know that on-course critiques like that really throw me off.
I started with a great drive, followed by a weak pitching wedge and a series of absolutely horrific pitch and chip attempts. I was short of the green, short again, sculled one over, and finished with a mediocre chip. After two putts, I had a quadruple-bogey – not the way you want to start.
Then the trouble spilled over to full swing shots. I flared a drive on hole #2 into the woods and had to hit my third from the tee. My fourth shot was a 9-iron that failed to clear a pond in front of the green. Penalty stroke, followed by a thin shot that went past the green. A nice pitch got me on the green, but after a pair of putts, I had a quintuple-bogey! Is that even a proper golf term? Sheesh!
The next thing you know, I rattled off back-to-back pars. Both came thanks to some nice up-and-down plays near the green. No sooner was I back on track, when the wheels came off again. I took another quintuple on hole #5, a par-5. I hit a wicked pull off the tee, though the woods spit my ball back out to the rough before the fairway. I duffed one, hit a nice one, duffed another couple, etc.
I didn't give up at this point, though it would have been easy to do so. I made birdie on hole #6, thanks to a pitch in from just off the green. In fact, I had a stretch of just four putts over five holes, as my short game was working well. Even over the front nine, I had just 12 putts. Unfortunately, another blowup on hole #9 pushed my score at the turn to 56 and the chances of a turnaround were slim.
My play on the back nine was less wild, except for a blowup on hole #11, a par-3. My tee shot found a greenside bunker and that's all it took. I hit my usual “clean pick” out of the sand and finished deep in the woods on the opposite side of the green. Triple-bogey was the final damage. On a positive note, I hit a marvelous approach into the last green and managed to save par.
This was only the third time this year that I reached 100 in a round. I was beginning to feel like I had left those scores in my past. Oh well. I do have three scores in the eighties this season, which provide a sort of offset, at least in my mind. After 13 years or so of regular golf, I am a solid 90's player. Break out the champagne! (sarcasm)
Score: 105
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 5
October 04, 2015
Fairly Good at Paris Grand
I headed out to Paris Grand recently for my second visit of the season. I've had some rounds this year where I drove the ball better and others where my irons were more accurate. I've also had rounds this year where my chipping and putting were better. While none of these elements were at my very best this time around, they were all actually quite good, producing a very balanced round and one of my better results of the year. It was still a score in the very familiar nineties, but nearer to the low end. I've only gone lower this year on the three occasions when I cracked into the eighties (84, 86, 86).
After some iron troubles on the opening par-5, including a wild shank from the left rough, I marked double-bogey on my scorecard. A strong pull off the tee started things poorly on the next hole, but a great punch shot and deft short game salvaged par. Hole #3 is a tricky par-3. With danger short, right and long, I inevitably pull or hook my tee shot to the left every single time. This time, my ball ended up against a tree trunk, leading to double-bogey.
The rest of the front nine was noticeably better. I hit all of the remaining fairways, along with three greens in regulation. Hole #4 would have produced par, if not for a 3-putt, my only one of the day. My par putt from about 5 feet looked really good, but lipped out. Holes #5 through #7 produced three pars in a row! On the last of these, I chipped one right near the pin, leaving a simple tap-in. Getting up and down from near the green is so crucial.
Holes #8 and #9 are a pair of par-5 beasts! On #8, I opted to blast a drive over the ravine. I hit a dead straight shot, but it came out a little low. It was a nervous moment, as you need all the carry you have in order to get over the danger. Luckily, I made it over. The problem on this hole was that my third shot found a greenside bunker. I splashed out, but the ball got hung up in the rough very near the green. Another chip went long, leading to a 2-putt and double-bogey.
On #8, I hit a great drive to the left centre of the fairway. The thing with this hole is you need your drive to be placed absolutely perfectly, in order to go over the ravine with your second shot. Just left of centre or a few yards back of the fairway ending, and trees on the left start to impede your shot. They force you to aim more to the right, where the carry over the ravine is much, much longer. I miss hit one into the ravine and had to use the drop zone. With the penalty stroke and average short game near the green, I collected another double-bogey.
The back nine also has some challenging holes, but I did well to keep things under control. I actually made par on hole #12, the hardest on the back side. The difficulty on this hole is the tee shot, which must carry a long stretch of marsh. The right side is covered in thick woods, while the left side has some very tall trees that push you to the right, where the danger is greatest. It definitely calls for a draw for right handers, but I don't really have a reliable draw with the driver in my arsenal. Instead, I took the ball high, straight over the tall trees on the left. It worked like a charm, as I finished a yard off the left edge of the fairway. Near the green, I pitched one very near the flag, leaving a 4 foot par putt that I drained.
The rest of the back nine was composed mostly of bogeys and doubles. I collected a few more penalty strokes (three on the back nine, as opposed to one on the front). These weren't terrible shots, just unlucky. Despite this, I managed the same score on the back nine, as I did on the front. Mind you, the back nine is a par 35, while the front is a par 37. One thing that helped was another par on hole #18. This is a shorter par-4 that I played in textbook fashion. Driver found the left rough, but the subsequent gap wedge found the dance floor. Two putts later, and the par was recorded.
Overall, not a bad effort. It does nothing to lower my handicap though. I can't get below 18.
Score: 92
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
After some iron troubles on the opening par-5, including a wild shank from the left rough, I marked double-bogey on my scorecard. A strong pull off the tee started things poorly on the next hole, but a great punch shot and deft short game salvaged par. Hole #3 is a tricky par-3. With danger short, right and long, I inevitably pull or hook my tee shot to the left every single time. This time, my ball ended up against a tree trunk, leading to double-bogey.
The rest of the front nine was noticeably better. I hit all of the remaining fairways, along with three greens in regulation. Hole #4 would have produced par, if not for a 3-putt, my only one of the day. My par putt from about 5 feet looked really good, but lipped out. Holes #5 through #7 produced three pars in a row! On the last of these, I chipped one right near the pin, leaving a simple tap-in. Getting up and down from near the green is so crucial.
Holes #8 and #9 are a pair of par-5 beasts! On #8, I opted to blast a drive over the ravine. I hit a dead straight shot, but it came out a little low. It was a nervous moment, as you need all the carry you have in order to get over the danger. Luckily, I made it over. The problem on this hole was that my third shot found a greenside bunker. I splashed out, but the ball got hung up in the rough very near the green. Another chip went long, leading to a 2-putt and double-bogey.
On #8, I hit a great drive to the left centre of the fairway. The thing with this hole is you need your drive to be placed absolutely perfectly, in order to go over the ravine with your second shot. Just left of centre or a few yards back of the fairway ending, and trees on the left start to impede your shot. They force you to aim more to the right, where the carry over the ravine is much, much longer. I miss hit one into the ravine and had to use the drop zone. With the penalty stroke and average short game near the green, I collected another double-bogey.
The back nine also has some challenging holes, but I did well to keep things under control. I actually made par on hole #12, the hardest on the back side. The difficulty on this hole is the tee shot, which must carry a long stretch of marsh. The right side is covered in thick woods, while the left side has some very tall trees that push you to the right, where the danger is greatest. It definitely calls for a draw for right handers, but I don't really have a reliable draw with the driver in my arsenal. Instead, I took the ball high, straight over the tall trees on the left. It worked like a charm, as I finished a yard off the left edge of the fairway. Near the green, I pitched one very near the flag, leaving a 4 foot par putt that I drained.
The rest of the back nine was composed mostly of bogeys and doubles. I collected a few more penalty strokes (three on the back nine, as opposed to one on the front). These weren't terrible shots, just unlucky. Despite this, I managed the same score on the back nine, as I did on the front. Mind you, the back nine is a par 35, while the front is a par 37. One thing that helped was another par on hole #18. This is a shorter par-4 that I played in textbook fashion. Driver found the left rough, but the subsequent gap wedge found the dance floor. Two putts later, and the par was recorded.
Overall, not a bad effort. It does nothing to lower my handicap though. I can't get below 18.
Score: 92
Putts: 31
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
September 27, 2015
Mystic Yields Typical Result
I played a rare weekend round at Mystic Golf Club, in Ancaster. It was my second visit of the year, but only my third ever. I improved my early season score by a single stroke, shooting 97 overall. Scoring was spread out fairly evenly, as I tallied 49 on the front nine and 48 on the back. I managed four pars, but these were offset by a pair of triple-bogeys. Interestingly, I was 9-over on the par-4 holes, of which there are ten. That's actually quite good! Unfortunately, I was 6-over on the four par-3 holes and a whopping 10-over on the four par-5 holes. I'm not sure if that means anything – it was probably just coincidence.
I won't provide many shot-by-shot accounts of what happened, because it would be very similar to my other blog posts. There were holes that I played without incident, resulting in par or bogey. When I tallied double-bogey or worse, it usually involved a slight error that put me in a tough situation. On a couple of occasions, shots that missed by just a few yards took really bad bounces, leaving me short-sided in some weeds or perhaps in a greenside bunker. The point is that I wasn't hacking it out there, even though the results make it look like that.
My driving was actually very good. As I have all year, I focused on feeling where my body wants to stop rotating, then extending ever so slightly past that. This shortens my swing and keeps my arms from getting too involved. It has the effect of keeping me on plane. The new bit was that I also thought of keeping my right elbow tucked closer to my body while executing that move. It worked very well. I was able to then follow through aggressively on the downswing, without fear of losing control. I hit 9 of 14 fairways this way. When I missed, it was barely. On three occasions, I was just a couple yards into the rough, while on two occasions, I was in a fairway bunker.
The best drive was probably on hole #13, a par-4 measuring just 314 yards from the silver tees. In my opinion, the layup off the tee is actually a tougher shot than just bombing away with driver. Deep bunkers pinch the left side of the landing zone, with woods on the right. Further ahead, the bunkers are not as deep and the fairway is wider. I blasted a laser of a shot through the end of the fairway, finishing in the rough just 15 yards from the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. This came on the heels of a similar drive on the previous hole, a 336-yard par-4. I was in the fairway, just 30 yards away from the green, after my drive. Unfortunately, I pitched over the back of the green into some fescue, leading to bogey.
While the driver was very consistent, the irons were less so. I hit four greens in regulation, which is fairly typical. Of course, the iron shots into those greens were good. On other occasions, however, the shots were mediocre. I didn't duff or scull any, but the fact is, I missed the greens. With my short game not very sharp, missing the greens becomes very penal. A better player could get up and down more often, thereby reducing the effect of missed greens. I wish I could do that!
As I alluded to, my short game was rather poor. I'm not referring to putting – that was fine. I'm talking about pitch shots in the 20-30 yard range, along with chip shots from closer. I fluffed a couple pitches, failing to even reach the green. Other times, I hit pitches that were much better, but which left very long putts to follow. As a bogey golfer, I'm in this situation a lot, so I have to be better near the greens to improve my scores. I really have to pitch and chip the ball near the flag to give myself a chance at making the subsequent putts. It's not good enough to simply pitch on the green and then 2-putt. That produces scores in the nineties, which is where I have been stuck almost all year.
I've played 30 rounds so far this season and have a trio of scores in the eighties (84, 86, 86). That's nice, but breaking 90 just ten percent of the time is not good enough.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
I won't provide many shot-by-shot accounts of what happened, because it would be very similar to my other blog posts. There were holes that I played without incident, resulting in par or bogey. When I tallied double-bogey or worse, it usually involved a slight error that put me in a tough situation. On a couple of occasions, shots that missed by just a few yards took really bad bounces, leaving me short-sided in some weeds or perhaps in a greenside bunker. The point is that I wasn't hacking it out there, even though the results make it look like that.
My driving was actually very good. As I have all year, I focused on feeling where my body wants to stop rotating, then extending ever so slightly past that. This shortens my swing and keeps my arms from getting too involved. It has the effect of keeping me on plane. The new bit was that I also thought of keeping my right elbow tucked closer to my body while executing that move. It worked very well. I was able to then follow through aggressively on the downswing, without fear of losing control. I hit 9 of 14 fairways this way. When I missed, it was barely. On three occasions, I was just a couple yards into the rough, while on two occasions, I was in a fairway bunker.
The best drive was probably on hole #13, a par-4 measuring just 314 yards from the silver tees. In my opinion, the layup off the tee is actually a tougher shot than just bombing away with driver. Deep bunkers pinch the left side of the landing zone, with woods on the right. Further ahead, the bunkers are not as deep and the fairway is wider. I blasted a laser of a shot through the end of the fairway, finishing in the rough just 15 yards from the green. I pitched on and 2-putt for par. This came on the heels of a similar drive on the previous hole, a 336-yard par-4. I was in the fairway, just 30 yards away from the green, after my drive. Unfortunately, I pitched over the back of the green into some fescue, leading to bogey.
While the driver was very consistent, the irons were less so. I hit four greens in regulation, which is fairly typical. Of course, the iron shots into those greens were good. On other occasions, however, the shots were mediocre. I didn't duff or scull any, but the fact is, I missed the greens. With my short game not very sharp, missing the greens becomes very penal. A better player could get up and down more often, thereby reducing the effect of missed greens. I wish I could do that!
As I alluded to, my short game was rather poor. I'm not referring to putting – that was fine. I'm talking about pitch shots in the 20-30 yard range, along with chip shots from closer. I fluffed a couple pitches, failing to even reach the green. Other times, I hit pitches that were much better, but which left very long putts to follow. As a bogey golfer, I'm in this situation a lot, so I have to be better near the greens to improve my scores. I really have to pitch and chip the ball near the flag to give myself a chance at making the subsequent putts. It's not good enough to simply pitch on the green and then 2-putt. That produces scores in the nineties, which is where I have been stuck almost all year.
I've played 30 rounds so far this season and have a trio of scores in the eighties (84, 86, 86). That's nice, but breaking 90 just ten percent of the time is not good enough.
Score: 97
Putts: 37
Fairways: 9
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
September 23, 2015
Same Old Story at Granite Ridge
Every time I play the Cobalt Course at Granite Ridge, I think back to an 82 I shot there in 2008. Could I do it again? Could I go just a few strokes lower to break 80? It was no different this time, as I headed out to the Milton area course on a sunny afternoon.
The round was pretty much like all of my rounds this year. I shot 95, which is my most common score this season. Sometimes I finish a little lower, sometimes a little higher, but always in the nineties it seems. In a way, this is a good thing. A couple years back, I regressed and was shooting 100 or more far too often. After 29 rounds this season, I've only reached 100 twice. One of these was the first round of the season – on a tough course after six months without touching a club. I've also had three scores in the eighties, so I feel like these offer a reasonable degree of compensation. On two dozen occasions, however, my score has been between 92 and 99. How do I get out of this rut and start breaking 90 with regularity?
My driving at Granite Ridge was fairly typical for the season. I hit 7 of 15 fairways and was never in any real trouble when I missed one. The toughest spot was probably after my drive on hole #7, a par-5 rated as the most difficult hole on the course. To avoid wetlands on the right side, I aimed for the left, but a pull travelled near the hole #17 teeing ground. I had space to swing and a decent lie, but failed to clear the tree line with my second shot, forcing a pitch to the 100-yard stick, from where I would try to find the putting surface in four. Contrast this with hole #13, where my drive, albeit in the right rough, left just 100 yards and a great angle to the green.
My iron play was spotty, especially early on. It had been a week since my last round, where my irons were actually quite good. I tried to carry forward the same thoughts and actions, but they didn't always work. I hit poor second shots with the irons on holes #1 and #2, but luckily the results weren't terrible. It wasn't until hole #3, a 148-yard par-3, that I hit a nice iron. It was a 7-iron that went dead straight, finishing about 12 feet below the hole. I missed the birdie putt and made par.
The good iron play didn't last long, as I hooked my second shot on hole #4 into some weeds. I was lucky not to be out of bounds, but really had no swing and had to declare the ball unplayable. On hole #5, a 161-yard par-3, I sculled the 7-iron off the tee, right into a pond fronting the green. And so it continued for the rest of the round. I had slight misses with the irons that didn't hurt me as much, but overall, the irons just weren't sharp. I was fighting the hook and sometimes came up short as I tried to hit cut shots to compensate.
Pitching and chipping was a mixed bag. I made a great pitch from 15 yards left of the green on hole #1 to set up a par save opportunity. A nice chip from greenside on hole #2 also set up a chance at par. On both occasions, I missed the very makeable putts and settled for bogey. Contrast this with hole #8, a short par-4. My second shot, 66 yards from the flag was just right of target and rolled off the green, very close to the flag. I sculled two consecutive chip shots, leading to a double-bogey. What a waste! I sculled another on hole #9, before knocking a good one tight to salvage bogey.
Come to think of it, the inconsistent chipping continued through the back nine as well. I fluffed chip shots on holes #12, #14, and #16 that didn't help my cause. On the other hand, I hit serviceable ones on holes #13 and #15. My second attempt on hole #16 left a tap-in for bogey, while another on hole #17 did exactly the same thing. So my chipping wasn't entirely horrible, but I really gave away some strokes for no reason.
Last but not least, my putting was good. I didn't drain anything from distance, but I had no 3-putts, while managing a trio of 1-putts. Avoiding 3-putts is a nice feeling. I wish it happened more often. I also avoided triple-bogeys or worse, which was also nice. I usually have two or three blowup holes to mar my scorecard.
Approaching the end of September, we're now into the final stretch of the season. I may only play another seven or eight rounds, so it's time to get cracking. I'd like to get my handicap factor below 18, if possible.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
The round was pretty much like all of my rounds this year. I shot 95, which is my most common score this season. Sometimes I finish a little lower, sometimes a little higher, but always in the nineties it seems. In a way, this is a good thing. A couple years back, I regressed and was shooting 100 or more far too often. After 29 rounds this season, I've only reached 100 twice. One of these was the first round of the season – on a tough course after six months without touching a club. I've also had three scores in the eighties, so I feel like these offer a reasonable degree of compensation. On two dozen occasions, however, my score has been between 92 and 99. How do I get out of this rut and start breaking 90 with regularity?
My driving at Granite Ridge was fairly typical for the season. I hit 7 of 15 fairways and was never in any real trouble when I missed one. The toughest spot was probably after my drive on hole #7, a par-5 rated as the most difficult hole on the course. To avoid wetlands on the right side, I aimed for the left, but a pull travelled near the hole #17 teeing ground. I had space to swing and a decent lie, but failed to clear the tree line with my second shot, forcing a pitch to the 100-yard stick, from where I would try to find the putting surface in four. Contrast this with hole #13, where my drive, albeit in the right rough, left just 100 yards and a great angle to the green.
My iron play was spotty, especially early on. It had been a week since my last round, where my irons were actually quite good. I tried to carry forward the same thoughts and actions, but they didn't always work. I hit poor second shots with the irons on holes #1 and #2, but luckily the results weren't terrible. It wasn't until hole #3, a 148-yard par-3, that I hit a nice iron. It was a 7-iron that went dead straight, finishing about 12 feet below the hole. I missed the birdie putt and made par.
The good iron play didn't last long, as I hooked my second shot on hole #4 into some weeds. I was lucky not to be out of bounds, but really had no swing and had to declare the ball unplayable. On hole #5, a 161-yard par-3, I sculled the 7-iron off the tee, right into a pond fronting the green. And so it continued for the rest of the round. I had slight misses with the irons that didn't hurt me as much, but overall, the irons just weren't sharp. I was fighting the hook and sometimes came up short as I tried to hit cut shots to compensate.
Pitching and chipping was a mixed bag. I made a great pitch from 15 yards left of the green on hole #1 to set up a par save opportunity. A nice chip from greenside on hole #2 also set up a chance at par. On both occasions, I missed the very makeable putts and settled for bogey. Contrast this with hole #8, a short par-4. My second shot, 66 yards from the flag was just right of target and rolled off the green, very close to the flag. I sculled two consecutive chip shots, leading to a double-bogey. What a waste! I sculled another on hole #9, before knocking a good one tight to salvage bogey.
Come to think of it, the inconsistent chipping continued through the back nine as well. I fluffed chip shots on holes #12, #14, and #16 that didn't help my cause. On the other hand, I hit serviceable ones on holes #13 and #15. My second attempt on hole #16 left a tap-in for bogey, while another on hole #17 did exactly the same thing. So my chipping wasn't entirely horrible, but I really gave away some strokes for no reason.
Last but not least, my putting was good. I didn't drain anything from distance, but I had no 3-putts, while managing a trio of 1-putts. Avoiding 3-putts is a nice feeling. I wish it happened more often. I also avoided triple-bogeys or worse, which was also nice. I usually have two or three blowup holes to mar my scorecard.
Approaching the end of September, we're now into the final stretch of the season. I may only play another seven or eight rounds, so it's time to get cracking. I'd like to get my handicap factor below 18, if possible.
Score: 95
Putts: 33
Fairways: 7
Greens: 2
Penalties: 3
September 19, 2015
Kedron Testy as Ever
There was a time when I considered Kedron Dells my nemesis. I played there often and collected huge scores almost every time. Granted, most of those visits took place in my early golfing days. Nevertheless, there's something about the course that makes it a stiff challenge, even now. You wouldn't guess as much by examining the rating / slope (71.4 / 125 from the Blue tees). At 6322 yards, the overall length is also pretty reasonable.
Perhaps it's the way the length is distributed over the different holes. The par-5 holes measure, 570, 493, 553, and 533 yards respectively. Three of those are just not reachable in two, even on a good day. Hole #4 is a beastly par-4 at 444 yards that requires a well placed drive, or else you're laying up or pitching to get back in position. Some of the par-3 holes also require length. Hole #5 is 195 yards with trouble front left and right. Hole #12 is no cakewalk at 188 yards, but #14 takes the cake. At 222 yards, it features OB left, woods right, and bunkers in front.
With all those long holes, there has to be some shorter ones – and there is. But the designs of the shorter holes offer different forms of defense. Hole #7, a 340-yard par-4, requires an accurately placed drive. Too far left or right, even on the fairway, and trees will challenge your ability to go for the green. Hole #8, a 149-yard par-3, is wedged between a wooded hillside and similarly wooded creek. Hole #10, a 363-yard par 4, features a hazard crossing the fairway in the prime landing zone. The safe play is to lay up, but this leaves a 170-yard approach to an elevated green. It plays much longer than the overall yardage would indicate. Finally, there is hole #15. It's a 302-yard par-4, but shaped like a horseshoe, with woods and water inside. It's a stiff test to reach the green in regulation.
I began the round well, except for some really horrific pitch shots. I made par on the opening par-5, but duffed a pair of pitch shots near the second and third greens that resulted in double-bogeys. Hole #4, the beastly one I described earlier, gave me the usual trouble. I pulled my drive left behind a grove of thick trees. I actually had to go backwards to pitch back to the fairway, and now I was miles away from the green. Two more shots left me right of the green. This was followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey.
Circumstances were similar on hole #7. I smother hooked my drive attempt, leaving me stymied by a grove of thick trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took a drop 50 yards back, on a line from the flag through the spot where my ball came to rest. It was all I could do to go forward, instead of backwards. Unfortunately, I had no real idea of the proper line to take, much less how far I should hit it. I ended up carding a quadruple-bogey. On a positive note, I finished up the front nine with a pair of bogeys.
The back nine was better, with only hole #11, a par-5, causing real disaster. A good drive to the left side took a bad bounce, ending up in some weeds against a fallen tree branch. I had to declare another unplayable. My third shot was way right to an opposite fairway. I tried to go over some tall trees next, but the ball didn't get airborne. I took the low route next, ending up near the green. A pitch and two putts earned triple-bogey.
There were a couple of double-bogeys registered on the back side, but mostly bogeys and one par. That was on the crescent-shaped hole #15. I actually hit a poor tee shot, clipping a tree on the right side not very far from the tee. I laid up to 100 yards, then hit one flag high, left of the pin. It took a great putt from 12 feet to save the par.
At the end of the round, I knew I was in danger of reaching 100. In fact, I thought I would finish with 101. To my surprise and delight, I was spared going over the century mark, finishing with a score of 99. Wayne Gretzky would be proud!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
Perhaps it's the way the length is distributed over the different holes. The par-5 holes measure, 570, 493, 553, and 533 yards respectively. Three of those are just not reachable in two, even on a good day. Hole #4 is a beastly par-4 at 444 yards that requires a well placed drive, or else you're laying up or pitching to get back in position. Some of the par-3 holes also require length. Hole #5 is 195 yards with trouble front left and right. Hole #12 is no cakewalk at 188 yards, but #14 takes the cake. At 222 yards, it features OB left, woods right, and bunkers in front.
With all those long holes, there has to be some shorter ones – and there is. But the designs of the shorter holes offer different forms of defense. Hole #7, a 340-yard par-4, requires an accurately placed drive. Too far left or right, even on the fairway, and trees will challenge your ability to go for the green. Hole #8, a 149-yard par-3, is wedged between a wooded hillside and similarly wooded creek. Hole #10, a 363-yard par 4, features a hazard crossing the fairway in the prime landing zone. The safe play is to lay up, but this leaves a 170-yard approach to an elevated green. It plays much longer than the overall yardage would indicate. Finally, there is hole #15. It's a 302-yard par-4, but shaped like a horseshoe, with woods and water inside. It's a stiff test to reach the green in regulation.
I began the round well, except for some really horrific pitch shots. I made par on the opening par-5, but duffed a pair of pitch shots near the second and third greens that resulted in double-bogeys. Hole #4, the beastly one I described earlier, gave me the usual trouble. I pulled my drive left behind a grove of thick trees. I actually had to go backwards to pitch back to the fairway, and now I was miles away from the green. Two more shots left me right of the green. This was followed by a pitch and two putts for a triple-bogey.
Circumstances were similar on hole #7. I smother hooked my drive attempt, leaving me stymied by a grove of thick trees. I declared the ball unplayable and took a drop 50 yards back, on a line from the flag through the spot where my ball came to rest. It was all I could do to go forward, instead of backwards. Unfortunately, I had no real idea of the proper line to take, much less how far I should hit it. I ended up carding a quadruple-bogey. On a positive note, I finished up the front nine with a pair of bogeys.
The back nine was better, with only hole #11, a par-5, causing real disaster. A good drive to the left side took a bad bounce, ending up in some weeds against a fallen tree branch. I had to declare another unplayable. My third shot was way right to an opposite fairway. I tried to go over some tall trees next, but the ball didn't get airborne. I took the low route next, ending up near the green. A pitch and two putts earned triple-bogey.
There were a couple of double-bogeys registered on the back side, but mostly bogeys and one par. That was on the crescent-shaped hole #15. I actually hit a poor tee shot, clipping a tree on the right side not very far from the tee. I laid up to 100 yards, then hit one flag high, left of the pin. It took a great putt from 12 feet to save the par.
At the end of the round, I knew I was in danger of reaching 100. In fact, I thought I would finish with 101. To my surprise and delight, I was spared going over the century mark, finishing with a score of 99. Wayne Gretzky would be proud!
Score: 99
Putts: 33
Fairways: 4
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
September 17, 2015
So Close at Crosswinds
The final round of the Deepwoods Golf Association took place at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club on a wet Sunday afternoon. It was cooler than seasonal and cloud cover kept the sun hidden away until the round was over. Light rain fell during the middle of the round, but standing water was a factor from start to finish. I was in the final group of the day, challenging for the title of 2015 Deepwoods Champion.
The front nine went about as well as I could have hoped for and certainly well enough to be crowned champion. I put together two pars and seven bogeys for a score of 43 at the turn. This translated into 19 points under the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. One of my fellow competitors was on the same pace, but he started the round a few points behind and was not closing the gap. The other two started even with me and they only managed 15 points each on the front nine. I was in the driver's seat and I knew it.
The key to my play on the front nine was the fact that I never made more than one mistake per hole. As a result, I never made worse than bogey. On the first hole, a short but tricky par-4, the mistake was a 3-putt after reaching the green in regulation. On holes #2 and #7, it was a pulled drive. On hole #6, the hardest on the course, the mistake was a duffed chip from flag-high, left of the green. On each occasion, I followed up with good shots. The driver was working fairly well and my irons felt solid. I was keeping my right hand loose and hitting them straight.
I made par on hole #10, thanks to a great up and down to a back pin location. One of my opponents took a quad on the hole, so I was in good shape for the title. Then, on hole #11, I hit a terrible duck hook with the driver, sending the ball into a pond. Despite taking a penalty stroke, I still had a chance to make bogey on the par-5 hole. My third shot was a good 4-iron, leaving about 150 yards to the green. From there, I found the front of the putting surface. Two putts were needed for bogey, but I blasted my first way past the hole. My second 3-putt of the day resulted in my first double-bogey. Incidentally, my playing partner made birdie, for a 3-point swing. Uh oh!
I didn't know for sure, but I felt like I was still leading the pack, albeit by a slight margin. I bogeyed the next two holes, so I felt like I was back on track. Hole #14 is the easiest on the course, so I wouldn't get any strokes to help me. Then again, neither would my competition. I hit a mediocre drive, but was still in the centre of the fairway, 150 yards from the green. My 8-iron shot came out low and squirted right, into the rough short of the green. My pitch shot went past the hole, but it should have been an easy 2-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I babied the first putt, a downhill one, leading to a 3-putt and zero points. I now felt like the pair of 3-putts on holes #11 and #14 might cost me dearly.
That doubt was the worst thing that could have happened. I basically played sloppy, nervous golf over the last four holes. On hole #15, a par-5, I pulled my drive left towards out of bounds. I was lucky that my ball stayed in, but it was only a foot or so from the fence. I thought about turning a club over and hitting it left-handed, or about hitting it one-handed with my back to the target. None of those options felt good. I finally opted to slam the lob wedge straight down, but the angle was so steep and the lie so terrible, that the ball only moved a couple of feet. I went on to have more trouble near the green, finishing with a triple-bogey and zero points. Argh!
At that point, it was over. Unless I made par over the last three holes, I would have to rely on my scores from earlier in the season. I went on to record a bogey and two doubles, then headed to the clubhouse, expecting to hear that one of the others in my group had taken the victory. Amazingly, three of us ended the season tied and would go on to a sudden death playoff!
I had the best chance to win on the first playoff hole. None of us hit a good tee shot, with one going left into some trees, and the other joining me right in a fairway bunker. I hit a great out though, finishing in the fairway, just 20 yards from the green. The guy who went left into the trees ended up in the fairway as well, but 30 yards behind me. The other hit a poor shot into some gnarly fescue, also about 50 yards from the green. He punched near the green, chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. The two of us in the fairway made weak shots to get on the green and then both of us 3-putt for double-bogeys of our own.
On the second playoff hole, a par-5, we all found the fairway with our drives. Two of us were short though, and had to lay up before a hazard that crosses the fairway up near the green. The other drilled his drive deep, then finished just left of the green with his second shot. He had the advantage at that point. Ultimately, he would chip and 2-putt for par. I found the edge of the green with my third shot and also 2-putt for par. The last guy stuck his approach from 100 yards to within six feet and drained the putt for birdie and the championship.
It was my third runner-up finish on the Deepwoods Tour, which must be a record. I do have one championship to go with those, but that was a long time ago. So close, yet again!
Score: 93
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
The front nine went about as well as I could have hoped for and certainly well enough to be crowned champion. I put together two pars and seven bogeys for a score of 43 at the turn. This translated into 19 points under the modified Stableford system used by Deepwoods. One of my fellow competitors was on the same pace, but he started the round a few points behind and was not closing the gap. The other two started even with me and they only managed 15 points each on the front nine. I was in the driver's seat and I knew it.
The key to my play on the front nine was the fact that I never made more than one mistake per hole. As a result, I never made worse than bogey. On the first hole, a short but tricky par-4, the mistake was a 3-putt after reaching the green in regulation. On holes #2 and #7, it was a pulled drive. On hole #6, the hardest on the course, the mistake was a duffed chip from flag-high, left of the green. On each occasion, I followed up with good shots. The driver was working fairly well and my irons felt solid. I was keeping my right hand loose and hitting them straight.
I made par on hole #10, thanks to a great up and down to a back pin location. One of my opponents took a quad on the hole, so I was in good shape for the title. Then, on hole #11, I hit a terrible duck hook with the driver, sending the ball into a pond. Despite taking a penalty stroke, I still had a chance to make bogey on the par-5 hole. My third shot was a good 4-iron, leaving about 150 yards to the green. From there, I found the front of the putting surface. Two putts were needed for bogey, but I blasted my first way past the hole. My second 3-putt of the day resulted in my first double-bogey. Incidentally, my playing partner made birdie, for a 3-point swing. Uh oh!
I didn't know for sure, but I felt like I was still leading the pack, albeit by a slight margin. I bogeyed the next two holes, so I felt like I was back on track. Hole #14 is the easiest on the course, so I wouldn't get any strokes to help me. Then again, neither would my competition. I hit a mediocre drive, but was still in the centre of the fairway, 150 yards from the green. My 8-iron shot came out low and squirted right, into the rough short of the green. My pitch shot went past the hole, but it should have been an easy 2-putt for bogey. Unfortunately, I babied the first putt, a downhill one, leading to a 3-putt and zero points. I now felt like the pair of 3-putts on holes #11 and #14 might cost me dearly.
That doubt was the worst thing that could have happened. I basically played sloppy, nervous golf over the last four holes. On hole #15, a par-5, I pulled my drive left towards out of bounds. I was lucky that my ball stayed in, but it was only a foot or so from the fence. I thought about turning a club over and hitting it left-handed, or about hitting it one-handed with my back to the target. None of those options felt good. I finally opted to slam the lob wedge straight down, but the angle was so steep and the lie so terrible, that the ball only moved a couple of feet. I went on to have more trouble near the green, finishing with a triple-bogey and zero points. Argh!
At that point, it was over. Unless I made par over the last three holes, I would have to rely on my scores from earlier in the season. I went on to record a bogey and two doubles, then headed to the clubhouse, expecting to hear that one of the others in my group had taken the victory. Amazingly, three of us ended the season tied and would go on to a sudden death playoff!
I had the best chance to win on the first playoff hole. None of us hit a good tee shot, with one going left into some trees, and the other joining me right in a fairway bunker. I hit a great out though, finishing in the fairway, just 20 yards from the green. The guy who went left into the trees ended up in the fairway as well, but 30 yards behind me. The other hit a poor shot into some gnarly fescue, also about 50 yards from the green. He punched near the green, chipped on and 2-putt for double-bogey. The two of us in the fairway made weak shots to get on the green and then both of us 3-putt for double-bogeys of our own.
On the second playoff hole, a par-5, we all found the fairway with our drives. Two of us were short though, and had to lay up before a hazard that crosses the fairway up near the green. The other drilled his drive deep, then finished just left of the green with his second shot. He had the advantage at that point. Ultimately, he would chip and 2-putt for par. I found the edge of the green with my third shot and also 2-putt for par. The last guy stuck his approach from 100 yards to within six feet and drained the putt for birdie and the championship.
It was my third runner-up finish on the Deepwoods Tour, which must be a record. I do have one championship to go with those, but that was a long time ago. So close, yet again!
Score: 93
Putts: 36
Fairways: 8
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
September 09, 2015
Another Coincidence at Indian Wells
It's been a strange year for coincidences on the golf course. On a visit to Victoria Park East, I ran into a guy I played with five years ago on the GTA Amateur Tour. The pro shop called him to the first tee over the loudspeaker and I recognized his name. He was in the group directly behind me. I chatted with him when things backed up on the third hole and he remembered me as well. On a visit to Century Pines, I got paired up with a guy I met and played with a year earlier at the same course. He was a good player and great company. He remembered my name and details of the small talk we exchanged a year prior. On a visit to Piper's Heath, a fellow member of the Deepwoods Golf Association called out my name as I was waiting to tee off on hole #17. He's a Deepwoods regular, but didn't play this year because of scheduling problems. We chatted a bit and agreed to get out for a round together later in the year.
The latest coincidence probably takes the cake. On a visit to Indian Wells, I pulled into a parking lot that was nearly empty. Another car pulled in at the same time and we parked side by side. The driver asked if I had the 11:48 am tee time, which I did. As we introduced ourselves, we realized that we knew each other. He works for a company that was my employer for many years and which I left almost five years ago. We weren't direct colleagues at the company, but worked in the same general area and had a number of common friends. We had lunched together and even played golf together at a mutual friend's private club. However, we hadn't seen each other or spoken for at least five years. It turned out to be a great round of golf. The course was nearly empty, as people were scared off by rain showers earlier in the day. Not only that, but it was a great opportunity to catch up with a former colleague. Amazing stuff!
As for the golf itself, I started with a mostly positive front nine. I was seven over par through the first eight holes, comprised of a birdie, one par, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. The birdie came on hole #5, a 340-yard par-4. Thick woods line the entire right side of this hole, from tee to green. It's actually staked as a lateral hazard, as there is a creek or something down in the trees. I visualized a drive starting on the left edge of the fairway and curling back slightly. That's exactly what I pulled off. It's such a great feeling when reality matches the vision you have beforehand. From 110 yards, I hit a sand wedge toward the green, which sits below the level of the fairway and is wrapped on all sides by woods. I came up a yard short, but hit an absolutely fabulous chip that curled toward the pin and dropped in the centre of the cup!
Hole #9 features a very tough tee shot, as thick woods line both sides of a narrow fairway. The right side is extremely thick – balls in there are not playable at all. The trees on the left are less thick, but a steep drop off carries balls down into a creek, 20 feet below the fairway level. I hit a good looking drive, but I just caught the top of the slope and my ball went all the way down into the hazard. After taking a penalty, I pitched up to the fairway through an opening in the trees. Unfortunately, my ball carried right to the other side of the fairway. From that position, the green was not accessible. I was forced to lay up about 50 yards from the green. I duffed a shot before finding the putting surface and then burned an edge on my first putt. The result was a disastrous quadruple-bogey. At the turn, my score was 47.
The back nine also featured a lot of good golf shots, but also another quadruple-bogey. Hole #12 calls for another tee shot to thread the needle between thick woods on both sides. It's not a long hole at 355 yards, but it's tight. You can't drive the ball more than 255 yards or you'll go through the end of the fairway and into a deep gulley, covered in rough. I hit it right about that distance to the left side and the ball trickled down the cart path to the bottom of the gulley. Fortunately, I had an opening I could pitch through to get back to the fairway. I was on the putting surface in three, but 3-putt on a very sloped section of green where the hole was cut. Double-bogey was recorded on the scorecard.
The quadruple came on hole #15, a par-5. I flared my drive way right into the opposite fairway, then rushed my next shot as I wanted to get out of the way of other players. I had to lay up with my third and was still 190 yards from the green. I pulled a 4-iron left of the green, where it appears they added much fescue and new trees. All of this came together to produce the inflated score. In the end, the mix of good golf and a pair of blowup holes produced my typical result. Next up is the Deepwoods finale on Sunday.
Score: 95
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
The latest coincidence probably takes the cake. On a visit to Indian Wells, I pulled into a parking lot that was nearly empty. Another car pulled in at the same time and we parked side by side. The driver asked if I had the 11:48 am tee time, which I did. As we introduced ourselves, we realized that we knew each other. He works for a company that was my employer for many years and which I left almost five years ago. We weren't direct colleagues at the company, but worked in the same general area and had a number of common friends. We had lunched together and even played golf together at a mutual friend's private club. However, we hadn't seen each other or spoken for at least five years. It turned out to be a great round of golf. The course was nearly empty, as people were scared off by rain showers earlier in the day. Not only that, but it was a great opportunity to catch up with a former colleague. Amazing stuff!
As for the golf itself, I started with a mostly positive front nine. I was seven over par through the first eight holes, comprised of a birdie, one par, four bogeys, and two double-bogeys. The birdie came on hole #5, a 340-yard par-4. Thick woods line the entire right side of this hole, from tee to green. It's actually staked as a lateral hazard, as there is a creek or something down in the trees. I visualized a drive starting on the left edge of the fairway and curling back slightly. That's exactly what I pulled off. It's such a great feeling when reality matches the vision you have beforehand. From 110 yards, I hit a sand wedge toward the green, which sits below the level of the fairway and is wrapped on all sides by woods. I came up a yard short, but hit an absolutely fabulous chip that curled toward the pin and dropped in the centre of the cup!
Hole #9 features a very tough tee shot, as thick woods line both sides of a narrow fairway. The right side is extremely thick – balls in there are not playable at all. The trees on the left are less thick, but a steep drop off carries balls down into a creek, 20 feet below the fairway level. I hit a good looking drive, but I just caught the top of the slope and my ball went all the way down into the hazard. After taking a penalty, I pitched up to the fairway through an opening in the trees. Unfortunately, my ball carried right to the other side of the fairway. From that position, the green was not accessible. I was forced to lay up about 50 yards from the green. I duffed a shot before finding the putting surface and then burned an edge on my first putt. The result was a disastrous quadruple-bogey. At the turn, my score was 47.
The back nine also featured a lot of good golf shots, but also another quadruple-bogey. Hole #12 calls for another tee shot to thread the needle between thick woods on both sides. It's not a long hole at 355 yards, but it's tight. You can't drive the ball more than 255 yards or you'll go through the end of the fairway and into a deep gulley, covered in rough. I hit it right about that distance to the left side and the ball trickled down the cart path to the bottom of the gulley. Fortunately, I had an opening I could pitch through to get back to the fairway. I was on the putting surface in three, but 3-putt on a very sloped section of green where the hole was cut. Double-bogey was recorded on the scorecard.
The quadruple came on hole #15, a par-5. I flared my drive way right into the opposite fairway, then rushed my next shot as I wanted to get out of the way of other players. I had to lay up with my third and was still 190 yards from the green. I pulled a 4-iron left of the green, where it appears they added much fescue and new trees. All of this came together to produce the inflated score. In the end, the mix of good golf and a pair of blowup holes produced my typical result. Next up is the Deepwoods finale on Sunday.
Score: 95
Putts: 34
Fairways: 3
Greens: 4
Penalties: 4
September 06, 2015
Stalling at Carlisle
My handicap factor has been stuck at 18.5 for the last five rounds, as I've been unable to go low. My latest round at Carlisle Golf Club pushed a good result off the bottom of my record and as a result, my factor jumped up to 19 even. More telling than the overall score of 97 was how it broke down over the starting, middle and finishing thirds.
Starting on the North nine, the first third of the round had some challenges indeed. Over the first four holes, the challenges were fairly minor ones. On hole #1, I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway. Giving up yardage to get over some high trees, I successfully got back to the correct fairway, 50 yards from the flag. I opted for lob wedge and made a good stroke, but the bounce interacted with the turf in a strange way. Though the ground was kind of hard, the club slid under the ball and I came up 20 yards short. This has happened to me a lot this year. At times, I've played more of a chip shot with an 8-iron from the same position. It's a good option, but one I've practiced much less. I finished the hole with double-bogey.
On hole #3, I pulled my drive to the opposite fairway once again. Going with another lofted club, this time I clipped the tips of some high trees. My ball finished up in a fairway bunker 95 yards from the flag. Sand wedge got me safely to the green, but I misjudged the speed of my first putt and missed my second, even though it was a great attempt. The result was another double-bogey. I bogeyed holes #2 and #4, both of which are par-3 holes, so after four holes, I had given away probably two strokes.
The real damage happened on holes #5 and #6. The former is a short par-4, but OB looms on the entire left side. Sure enough, I pull hooked one with the 5-wood clear over the tall trees, toward the railway line. Hitting my third from the tee with the same club, I nailed the centre of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. Why didn't that happen the first time? I followed up hitting the centre of the green with a gap wedge. Inexplicably, I left my first putt well short, then missed a 4-footer. The 3-putt made a poor hole worse, as I finished with a triple-bogey.
Hole #6 features the toughest tee shot on the course. Thick trees line the right side of this dogleg par-5. The left side is out of bounds, with nothing but a chain link fence between the golf course and some farmland. In fact, the teeing ground angles towards OB a bit. Anything less than a perfectly straight drive spells trouble. By the way, there is also a forced carry over some weeds directly in front of the tee area. It's not long, but it adds visual intimidation. I hit my drive barely left of my intended line. The ball bounced near the cart path and went over the fence. Hitting my third from the tee, I made a nice shot. My fourth shot was a layup to near the 150 yard stick, right where the hole makes its dogleg. Unfortunately, I left the ball right of the 150-yard stick, which means I was blocked out of the green by some trees on the right. Two shots later, I was in a greenside bunker. I splashed out and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey. Yech!
My score over the first six holes was 36 (13 over). Luckily, I improved over the next six holes. My score over the middle third was 33 (8 over). This began with back-to-back pars on holes #7 and #8. Hole #7 features another very tough tee shot. It's all carry over some marshy wasteland to a landing area pinched by OB left and long, plus more woods on the right. I hit a great drive to the right side, leaving just 140 yards to the green. A 9-iron to the green centre was followed by a great birdie attempt that lipped out. Hole #8 is a par-5 that didn't feature any spectacular shots, yet par was the result nevertheless.
I should note that the middle third of the round ended with a terrible triple-bogey on hole #3 of the East nine, a 130-yard par-3 that's all carry over water. I took a huge beaver pelt out of the ground on my tee shot, with the ball dribbling ahead about 10 yards. From there, I failed to clear the water and was forced to take a penalty stroke. My fourth shot was finally on the green and I 2-putt for the triple.
The last third of the round saved my bacon. I shot 28 (4 over) with two pars and four bogeys. Beginning on East #4, I decided to throw caution to the wind, especially with the driver. After my practice swing on #4, I could hear my playing partners gasp with surprise. Until then, I had been swinging the driver very gently – since they didn't know me, my playing partners may have thought that was all the speed I had. LOL. Oh no, my friends! Whoosh! I piped my drives right down the pipe on holes #4, #5, #6. The result was a single par and two bogeys, as I thinned a sand wedge into the green on #4 and drew a terrible lie in the rough on hole #6. The rough bisects the fairway, in case you were wondering how a straight drive ended up there.
I took a rip on hole #7 as well, but this one was high and flared to the right side of the fairway. This is a par-5 that narrows significantly the nearer you are to the green. I played a couple of smart, conservative shots to walk away with par. Hole #8 is a short par-3, so there was no wild swing there, but I did hit driver on hole #9, a short par-4 that by no means calls for one. I had to chip sideways on my second shot to get around a couple of trees bordering a pond, but it really was not a problem. A pair of bogeys on the last two holes salvaged a respectable score, but nowhere near good enough to help my handicap factor. Scores in the mid nineties won't help my bid for the Deepwoods Golf Association title either, so I have to get this turned around quickly.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
Starting on the North nine, the first third of the round had some challenges indeed. Over the first four holes, the challenges were fairly minor ones. On hole #1, I pulled my drive to an opposite fairway. Giving up yardage to get over some high trees, I successfully got back to the correct fairway, 50 yards from the flag. I opted for lob wedge and made a good stroke, but the bounce interacted with the turf in a strange way. Though the ground was kind of hard, the club slid under the ball and I came up 20 yards short. This has happened to me a lot this year. At times, I've played more of a chip shot with an 8-iron from the same position. It's a good option, but one I've practiced much less. I finished the hole with double-bogey.
On hole #3, I pulled my drive to the opposite fairway once again. Going with another lofted club, this time I clipped the tips of some high trees. My ball finished up in a fairway bunker 95 yards from the flag. Sand wedge got me safely to the green, but I misjudged the speed of my first putt and missed my second, even though it was a great attempt. The result was another double-bogey. I bogeyed holes #2 and #4, both of which are par-3 holes, so after four holes, I had given away probably two strokes.
The real damage happened on holes #5 and #6. The former is a short par-4, but OB looms on the entire left side. Sure enough, I pull hooked one with the 5-wood clear over the tall trees, toward the railway line. Hitting my third from the tee with the same club, I nailed the centre of the fairway, leaving 110 yards to the flag. Why didn't that happen the first time? I followed up hitting the centre of the green with a gap wedge. Inexplicably, I left my first putt well short, then missed a 4-footer. The 3-putt made a poor hole worse, as I finished with a triple-bogey.
Hole #6 features the toughest tee shot on the course. Thick trees line the right side of this dogleg par-5. The left side is out of bounds, with nothing but a chain link fence between the golf course and some farmland. In fact, the teeing ground angles towards OB a bit. Anything less than a perfectly straight drive spells trouble. By the way, there is also a forced carry over some weeds directly in front of the tee area. It's not long, but it adds visual intimidation. I hit my drive barely left of my intended line. The ball bounced near the cart path and went over the fence. Hitting my third from the tee, I made a nice shot. My fourth shot was a layup to near the 150 yard stick, right where the hole makes its dogleg. Unfortunately, I left the ball right of the 150-yard stick, which means I was blocked out of the green by some trees on the right. Two shots later, I was in a greenside bunker. I splashed out and 2-putt for a quadruple-bogey. Yech!
My score over the first six holes was 36 (13 over). Luckily, I improved over the next six holes. My score over the middle third was 33 (8 over). This began with back-to-back pars on holes #7 and #8. Hole #7 features another very tough tee shot. It's all carry over some marshy wasteland to a landing area pinched by OB left and long, plus more woods on the right. I hit a great drive to the right side, leaving just 140 yards to the green. A 9-iron to the green centre was followed by a great birdie attempt that lipped out. Hole #8 is a par-5 that didn't feature any spectacular shots, yet par was the result nevertheless.
I should note that the middle third of the round ended with a terrible triple-bogey on hole #3 of the East nine, a 130-yard par-3 that's all carry over water. I took a huge beaver pelt out of the ground on my tee shot, with the ball dribbling ahead about 10 yards. From there, I failed to clear the water and was forced to take a penalty stroke. My fourth shot was finally on the green and I 2-putt for the triple.
The last third of the round saved my bacon. I shot 28 (4 over) with two pars and four bogeys. Beginning on East #4, I decided to throw caution to the wind, especially with the driver. After my practice swing on #4, I could hear my playing partners gasp with surprise. Until then, I had been swinging the driver very gently – since they didn't know me, my playing partners may have thought that was all the speed I had. LOL. Oh no, my friends! Whoosh! I piped my drives right down the pipe on holes #4, #5, #6. The result was a single par and two bogeys, as I thinned a sand wedge into the green on #4 and drew a terrible lie in the rough on hole #6. The rough bisects the fairway, in case you were wondering how a straight drive ended up there.
I took a rip on hole #7 as well, but this one was high and flared to the right side of the fairway. This is a par-5 that narrows significantly the nearer you are to the green. I played a couple of smart, conservative shots to walk away with par. Hole #8 is a short par-3, so there was no wild swing there, but I did hit driver on hole #9, a short par-4 that by no means calls for one. I had to chip sideways on my second shot to get around a couple of trees bordering a pond, but it really was not a problem. A pair of bogeys on the last two holes salvaged a respectable score, but nowhere near good enough to help my handicap factor. Scores in the mid nineties won't help my bid for the Deepwoods Golf Association title either, so I have to get this turned around quickly.
Score: 97
Putts: 36
Fairways: 6
Greens: 4
Penalties: 3
September 02, 2015
Another Rep at BraeBen
BraeBen is not a course I've played often; my maiden visit there was many years ago and last year marked my only return to the Mississauga area facility. Though my rounds there have been sparse, I do enjoy the layout. I was looking to play something close to home, so I headed out to BraeBen in hopes of a solid round.
I pounded a drive on the opening par-5, leaving just 180 yards to the green. I came up just short of the putting surface with my second shot, but with the pin tucked at the extreme back, I had lots of green to work with. It didn't help, as I sculled a chip right across the green. The comeback chip was no better, rolling well past the hole. After blasting my first putt well past the hole, I had to make a lengthy putt just for bogey. I drained it, but really should have done better on the hole.
Pitching and chipping was poor at my previous round, so I was worried that it would continue as such. It went from bad to worse on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. I pulled my tee shot slightly, but that was enough to catch the wrong side of a mound, propelling the ball into thick fescue and thistles. Those areas are treated as lateral hazards, so I was able to take a penalty and drop when the ball was not found. Unfortunately, my pitch rolled off the opposite side of the green. Next, I sculled a chip attempt back over the green. I needed yet another chip just to get on the green with my fifth shot. Two putts closed the hole out with a score of 7.
At this point, I settled into a long period of relatively steady golf, which lasted for the rest of the round. Though it was steady, I was not collecting enough pars or birdies to offset the quadruple-bogey already on my scorecard. It was the proverbial bogey train, as I seemed to collect one after another. I did make par on hole #3, a short par-4, but followed it up with a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #4. Hole #8 produced a triple, with all the trouble coming near the green. A bunker shot rolled off the other side of the green, while the comeback chip – a delicate one – got caught up in the rough near the fringe. I was shooting 50 at the turn.
The back nine was more steady, as I collected just one double-bogey, along with six bogeys and two pars. The bogeys were fairly nondescript. I was hitting shots that were not perfect, but really not bad either. This usually left me just missing out on par, but getting fairly easy bogeys. The two pars saved my round, as they came on the last two holes of the day. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit just my second green in regulation, then 2-putt. On #18, a par-5, my third shot slid under the ball in the rough, coming up 30 yards short of the green. Next, I hit my best pitch shot of the day, settling right beside the cup at the front of the green. I made the 4-foot putt easily.
So while my pitching and chipping started out terribly, they seemed to be better by the end of the round. Let's hope they stay good for a while. I also need some bunker practice.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
I pounded a drive on the opening par-5, leaving just 180 yards to the green. I came up just short of the putting surface with my second shot, but with the pin tucked at the extreme back, I had lots of green to work with. It didn't help, as I sculled a chip right across the green. The comeback chip was no better, rolling well past the hole. After blasting my first putt well past the hole, I had to make a lengthy putt just for bogey. I drained it, but really should have done better on the hole.
Pitching and chipping was poor at my previous round, so I was worried that it would continue as such. It went from bad to worse on hole #2, a 144-yard par-3. I pulled my tee shot slightly, but that was enough to catch the wrong side of a mound, propelling the ball into thick fescue and thistles. Those areas are treated as lateral hazards, so I was able to take a penalty and drop when the ball was not found. Unfortunately, my pitch rolled off the opposite side of the green. Next, I sculled a chip attempt back over the green. I needed yet another chip just to get on the green with my fifth shot. Two putts closed the hole out with a score of 7.
At this point, I settled into a long period of relatively steady golf, which lasted for the rest of the round. Though it was steady, I was not collecting enough pars or birdies to offset the quadruple-bogey already on my scorecard. It was the proverbial bogey train, as I seemed to collect one after another. I did make par on hole #3, a short par-4, but followed it up with a 3-putt double-bogey on hole #4. Hole #8 produced a triple, with all the trouble coming near the green. A bunker shot rolled off the other side of the green, while the comeback chip – a delicate one – got caught up in the rough near the fringe. I was shooting 50 at the turn.
The back nine was more steady, as I collected just one double-bogey, along with six bogeys and two pars. The bogeys were fairly nondescript. I was hitting shots that were not perfect, but really not bad either. This usually left me just missing out on par, but getting fairly easy bogeys. The two pars saved my round, as they came on the last two holes of the day. On hole #17, a short par-4, I hit just my second green in regulation, then 2-putt. On #18, a par-5, my third shot slid under the ball in the rough, coming up 30 yards short of the green. Next, I hit my best pitch shot of the day, settling right beside the cup at the front of the green. I made the 4-foot putt easily.
So while my pitching and chipping started out terribly, they seemed to be better by the end of the round. Let's hope they stay good for a while. I also need some bunker practice.
Score: 94
Putts: 35
Fairways: 6
Greens: 2
Penalties: 2
September 01, 2015
Slow Start at Bradford
My second visit of the year to Bradford Highlands began with a flawless drive down the centre of the first fairway. Unfortunately, I followed that up with a pulled gap wedge shot that found the water in front of the green. After taking a penalty, my pitch shot rolled off the back of the putting surface. Two sculled chip attempts later, I was finally on the green. I then 2-putt for quadruple-bogey.
A bogey on hole #2 provided some respite, but I chalked up another quad on hole #3. My tee shot was very nearly out of bounds, but stayed in play, 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I flared an 8-iron into a pond right of the green. After taking my penalty, I sculled a pitch attempt 30 yards past the green, right behind a spruce tree. Two more shots were required to get on from that position, followed by a pair of putts.
Ironically, hole #6 was my best of the day. It's ironic because this par-4 has given me fits on past occasions – I'm talking double-digit scores. This time, I hit my drive deep, just right of the fairway. The next shot was key – a sand wedge that flew past the large bunker that fronts the entire green, landing on the narrow putting surface before settling near the back edge. From there, it was a downhill breaker that I judged perfectly for birdie!
Hole #7 produced a satisfying par, before the nonsense ensued again on hole #8. I pulled my tee shot on this par-3 flag high into a bunker. Aah yes, the dreaded greenside bunker. As seems to be customary, I picked the ball out clean, sailing 40 yards past the green into the fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. After a good pitch and pair of putts, it was a triple-bogey result.
I faltered at another par-3 on the back nine. On hole #13, my tee shot was off the toe of the club and came up short in a bunker. I wasn't going to pick it clean this time – which of course means that I hit it fat and failed to get out at all. My next attempt was also fat, but at least squirted into the rough. A decent chip was followed by a decent putt, but it burned the edge and I needed another tap-in to register triple-bogey.
Besides that hole, along with a 3-putt on the final hole of the day, the back nine was pretty good. Three consecutive bogeys started things out, including an impressive one on the par-5 11th hole after I was forced to hit my third shot from the tee. My first sliced out of bounds, where a new subdivision is inching closer and closer to the golf course.
My best shots came on holes #14 and #17, both of which produced par. On the former, I hit a terrible tee shot that clipped some small trees and ended up in the left rough, 205 yards from the green. With a small tree right in front of me, and more up ahead, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I took aim with the 5-wood and hit a spectacular high shot that landed softly on the green, flag high. On #17, my drive was better, but I found myself in almost the exact situation. Well, if it worked once it can work again, I thought. Out came the 5-wood and boom, I nailed the green again, this time finishing about 12 feet from the cup. My birdie putt scared the hole, but didn't drop.
My final score was nothing to write home about, but considering how terrible my pitching and chipping were, I'll take it. I've got to get those touch shots sorted out before the Deepwoods finale in a couple of weeks.
Score: 98
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
A bogey on hole #2 provided some respite, but I chalked up another quad on hole #3. My tee shot was very nearly out of bounds, but stayed in play, 150 yards from the green. Unfortunately, I flared an 8-iron into a pond right of the green. After taking my penalty, I sculled a pitch attempt 30 yards past the green, right behind a spruce tree. Two more shots were required to get on from that position, followed by a pair of putts.
Ironically, hole #6 was my best of the day. It's ironic because this par-4 has given me fits on past occasions – I'm talking double-digit scores. This time, I hit my drive deep, just right of the fairway. The next shot was key – a sand wedge that flew past the large bunker that fronts the entire green, landing on the narrow putting surface before settling near the back edge. From there, it was a downhill breaker that I judged perfectly for birdie!
Hole #7 produced a satisfying par, before the nonsense ensued again on hole #8. I pulled my tee shot on this par-3 flag high into a bunker. Aah yes, the dreaded greenside bunker. As seems to be customary, I picked the ball out clean, sailing 40 yards past the green into the fescue. The ball was unplayable, so I took a penalty. After a good pitch and pair of putts, it was a triple-bogey result.
I faltered at another par-3 on the back nine. On hole #13, my tee shot was off the toe of the club and came up short in a bunker. I wasn't going to pick it clean this time – which of course means that I hit it fat and failed to get out at all. My next attempt was also fat, but at least squirted into the rough. A decent chip was followed by a decent putt, but it burned the edge and I needed another tap-in to register triple-bogey.
Besides that hole, along with a 3-putt on the final hole of the day, the back nine was pretty good. Three consecutive bogeys started things out, including an impressive one on the par-5 11th hole after I was forced to hit my third shot from the tee. My first sliced out of bounds, where a new subdivision is inching closer and closer to the golf course.
My best shots came on holes #14 and #17, both of which produced par. On the former, I hit a terrible tee shot that clipped some small trees and ended up in the left rough, 205 yards from the green. With a small tree right in front of me, and more up ahead, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I took aim with the 5-wood and hit a spectacular high shot that landed softly on the green, flag high. On #17, my drive was better, but I found myself in almost the exact situation. Well, if it worked once it can work again, I thought. Out came the 5-wood and boom, I nailed the green again, this time finishing about 12 feet from the cup. My birdie putt scared the hole, but didn't drop.
My final score was nothing to write home about, but considering how terrible my pitching and chipping were, I'll take it. I've got to get those touch shots sorted out before the Deepwoods finale in a couple of weeks.
Score: 98
Putts: 31
Fairways: 7
Greens: 3
Penalties: 4
August 30, 2015
Back at Piper's Heath
I played Piper's Heath last month in uncharacteristically mild conditions, but the wind was up to its usual tricks on my most recent visit. It was by no means howling, but there was enough to make you think about club selection and target lines. In my previous visit I played the white tees (6088 yards), while this time I stepped back to the blue tees (6621 yards).
Despite a poor drive and horrific 4-iron to start things out, I managed to make bogey on the opening hole. I was lucky to find my ball in some fescue after the second shot and I took full advantage with a nice lob wedge to the green. My driver and iron shots were better over the next few holes, but I struggled with my short game near the greens. On hole #3, a par-5, my fourth shot from a greenside bunker was picked clean, with the ball ending up in some fescue 30 yards behind the green. I duffed a pair of pitch shots, before chipping one in from off the green just to save double-bogey. On hole #4, I duffed a pitch shot from 30 yards, leading to another double.
Fortunately, I settled down a bit on the remainder of the front nine. I made bogey on hole #5, despite finding a hazard with my tee shot and taking a penalty. I made par on hole #6, followed by a trio of bogeys. There were some mis-hits that resulted in some lost yardage, but nothing catastrophic. The short game came around a little bit, enabling me to limit any damage done. I made the turn with a decent score of 46. I hit five of seven fairways, but no greens in regulation. This turned out to be a sign of things to come.
The back nine was a little more shaky, with trouble coming in different forms. Poorly hit tee shots put me behind the 8-ball on holes #11 and #15. The former is a 205-yard par-3 that was playing longer with the pin tucked at the back of a deep green. I smothered and topped a 5-wood, leaving my ball buried in some fescue, 150 yards from the green. All I could do was hack out to the rough, leaving about 40 yards to the pin. A pitch and two putts earned double-bogey. Hole #15 is a fun par-5, but my drive attempt was fat, travelling almost nowhere. It took an extra shot to reach the green, resulting in another double.
When the driver worked well, other things faltered. I inadvertently opened up the face on my 7-iron attempting to find the green on hole #12. The ball sailed out of bounds, contributing to a triple-bogey. It didn't help that I collected my first 3-putt of the day on the same hole. Another 3-putt on hole #18 produced a double-bogey. On hole #14, it was another failed bunker shot that also resulted in a double. I didn't pick this one clean, but it sailed well past the hole and rolled right off the opposite side of the green. I had a chance to save bogey with an 8-foot putt, but didn't play enough break.
I ended up shooting 51 on the back nine. I hit three of six fairways, but once again, no greens in regulation. All in all, it was a decent effort, but certainly nowhere near my best.
Score: 97
Putts: 33
Fairways: 8
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
Despite a poor drive and horrific 4-iron to start things out, I managed to make bogey on the opening hole. I was lucky to find my ball in some fescue after the second shot and I took full advantage with a nice lob wedge to the green. My driver and iron shots were better over the next few holes, but I struggled with my short game near the greens. On hole #3, a par-5, my fourth shot from a greenside bunker was picked clean, with the ball ending up in some fescue 30 yards behind the green. I duffed a pair of pitch shots, before chipping one in from off the green just to save double-bogey. On hole #4, I duffed a pitch shot from 30 yards, leading to another double.
Fortunately, I settled down a bit on the remainder of the front nine. I made bogey on hole #5, despite finding a hazard with my tee shot and taking a penalty. I made par on hole #6, followed by a trio of bogeys. There were some mis-hits that resulted in some lost yardage, but nothing catastrophic. The short game came around a little bit, enabling me to limit any damage done. I made the turn with a decent score of 46. I hit five of seven fairways, but no greens in regulation. This turned out to be a sign of things to come.
The back nine was a little more shaky, with trouble coming in different forms. Poorly hit tee shots put me behind the 8-ball on holes #11 and #15. The former is a 205-yard par-3 that was playing longer with the pin tucked at the back of a deep green. I smothered and topped a 5-wood, leaving my ball buried in some fescue, 150 yards from the green. All I could do was hack out to the rough, leaving about 40 yards to the pin. A pitch and two putts earned double-bogey. Hole #15 is a fun par-5, but my drive attempt was fat, travelling almost nowhere. It took an extra shot to reach the green, resulting in another double.
When the driver worked well, other things faltered. I inadvertently opened up the face on my 7-iron attempting to find the green on hole #12. The ball sailed out of bounds, contributing to a triple-bogey. It didn't help that I collected my first 3-putt of the day on the same hole. Another 3-putt on hole #18 produced a double-bogey. On hole #14, it was another failed bunker shot that also resulted in a double. I didn't pick this one clean, but it sailed well past the hole and rolled right off the opposite side of the green. I had a chance to save bogey with an 8-foot putt, but didn't play enough break.
I ended up shooting 51 on the back nine. I hit three of six fairways, but once again, no greens in regulation. All in all, it was a decent effort, but certainly nowhere near my best.
Score: 97
Putts: 33
Fairways: 8
Greens: 0
Penalties: 2
August 19, 2015
Staying Away from Banty's Roost
The very first post on this blog, back in 2006, was about a round at Banty's Roost Golf & Country Club. Whether it's deserved or not, the place has always had a bad reputation. The course is frequently referred to as a cow pasture and tales of poor service in the pro shop abound. I've never been a golf snob, so I visited the facility a handful of times in the early and mid 2000s. There was nothing spectacular about the course, to be sure, but I found it more than acceptable and even have some fond memories of playing there with some good friends. For no particular reason though, my last visit there was way back in 2007.
Perhaps feeling some nostalgia, I booked a round there a couple of days ago. What a mistake! The course itself is what it always was – that wasn't really the problem. The issue, frankly, is the type of people the course seems to attract. I got paired up with a married couple and another single player, who shared a cart with me. The single was friendly enough, but he had no clue how to get around the course efficiently. On at least half a dozen occasions, he put his clubs in his bag and walked around to the driver's side of the cart, before realizing that he wasn't the one driving. Back around to the passenger side he went each time. Bizarre.
The really annoying thing about this fellow, however, was his pre-shot routine. He would address the ball and then launch into what I can only describe as an extended shimmy. The only thing missing was the music. I couldn't stand waiting for him to pull the trigger, so I would look away. After a few seconds, I would inevitably look back, only to find he was still dancing with the ball at his feet. On one occasion, he spent 30 seconds practising a hip thrust that would put John Travolta to shame. HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
The lady in the group was no better. Sporting a pair of those arm bands that are popular among some of the LPGA players, she would address the ball and start her swing. Six seconds later, she would reach the quarter point of her backswing. Yes, that's right. At that point, there would be a pause of another six seconds. Then the remainder of the swing would take place over another six seconds. 666? How appropriate. The last part of the swing was downright blistering, compared to the first two portions. And this happened with every shot! Chip shot – same thing. Three foot putt – same thing. HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
OK, with that little rant over I can talk about some actual golf. I was terrible off the tee. I pulled or hooked a bunch of drives. When I tried to adjust, I pushed a couple drives way right. Even on the par-3 holes, I wasn't able to deliver a good tee shot. I hit only one fairway all day. Not surprisingly, I hit zero greens in regulation. It's not that my irons or second shots were bad – it's simply hard to hit greens in regulation when you've been penalized off the tee. I tallied a whopping seven penalty strokes on the day.
Having said that, my putting was amazing. The greens were like putting on shag carpet, but nevertheless, I drained putts often and from distance. It might have been my best putting all year. Consider hole #8 on the Red nine, a par-3 that was playing 202 yards. I topped a 5-wood off the tee, leaving 100 yards to the hole. From there, I hit a nice sand wedge flag high, but about 15 feet left. No problem, as I hit the centre of the cup with a breaking putt. It was my second-last hole of the day and my first par. I went on to par the last hole of the day as well.
Though I only had two pars, I also registered no worse than double-bogey on any hole. I can't say that about every round. Honestly though, I was just glad to get the round over with. After eight years without playing Banty's Roost, I think I had enough to last for at least another eight.
HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
Score: 95
Putts: 31
Fairways: 1
Greens: 0
Penalties: 7
Perhaps feeling some nostalgia, I booked a round there a couple of days ago. What a mistake! The course itself is what it always was – that wasn't really the problem. The issue, frankly, is the type of people the course seems to attract. I got paired up with a married couple and another single player, who shared a cart with me. The single was friendly enough, but he had no clue how to get around the course efficiently. On at least half a dozen occasions, he put his clubs in his bag and walked around to the driver's side of the cart, before realizing that he wasn't the one driving. Back around to the passenger side he went each time. Bizarre.
The really annoying thing about this fellow, however, was his pre-shot routine. He would address the ball and then launch into what I can only describe as an extended shimmy. The only thing missing was the music. I couldn't stand waiting for him to pull the trigger, so I would look away. After a few seconds, I would inevitably look back, only to find he was still dancing with the ball at his feet. On one occasion, he spent 30 seconds practising a hip thrust that would put John Travolta to shame. HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
The lady in the group was no better. Sporting a pair of those arm bands that are popular among some of the LPGA players, she would address the ball and start her swing. Six seconds later, she would reach the quarter point of her backswing. Yes, that's right. At that point, there would be a pause of another six seconds. Then the remainder of the swing would take place over another six seconds. 666? How appropriate. The last part of the swing was downright blistering, compared to the first two portions. And this happened with every shot! Chip shot – same thing. Three foot putt – same thing. HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
OK, with that little rant over I can talk about some actual golf. I was terrible off the tee. I pulled or hooked a bunch of drives. When I tried to adjust, I pushed a couple drives way right. Even on the par-3 holes, I wasn't able to deliver a good tee shot. I hit only one fairway all day. Not surprisingly, I hit zero greens in regulation. It's not that my irons or second shots were bad – it's simply hard to hit greens in regulation when you've been penalized off the tee. I tallied a whopping seven penalty strokes on the day.
Having said that, my putting was amazing. The greens were like putting on shag carpet, but nevertheless, I drained putts often and from distance. It might have been my best putting all year. Consider hole #8 on the Red nine, a par-3 that was playing 202 yards. I topped a 5-wood off the tee, leaving 100 yards to the hole. From there, I hit a nice sand wedge flag high, but about 15 feet left. No problem, as I hit the centre of the cup with a breaking putt. It was my second-last hole of the day and my first par. I went on to par the last hole of the day as well.
Though I only had two pars, I also registered no worse than double-bogey on any hole. I can't say that about every round. Honestly though, I was just glad to get the round over with. After eight years without playing Banty's Roost, I think I had enough to last for at least another eight.
HIT THE BALL, DUDE!
Score: 95
Putts: 31
Fairways: 1
Greens: 0
Penalties: 7
August 10, 2015
Double Delight at Dragon's Fire
A week ago, I posted about my top ten rounds of all time. Number 10 on the list was the round I played just before writing the entry – a tune-up of sorts for an upcoming round on the Deepwoods Tour. Playing at the same course where the Deepwoods event would be held, I shot a very satisfying 86. To be honest, I thought it would hard to replicate that kind of score in competition. Well, the Deepwoods event took place last Sunday and I'm delighted to report that I shot 86 again! It looks like I'll have to update that Top 10 list.
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the right centre of the fairway. Easy sand wedge from 90 yards to a pin tucked near the extreme right side of the green. My birdie putt from 10 feet was tracking right to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip. Par result.
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 150 yards, I hooked an 8-iron near the #3 teeing ground. The ball was unplayable in the fescue, so I took a penalty. I bumped a shot near the front pin position, leaving about 12 feet for bogey. Great putt broke to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip again. Double-bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. 5-wood off the tee was just off the right side of the fairway, but I had an open path to the pin and a good lie. Hooked an 8-iron into the trees left of the green. Penalty stroke and a drop ensued. From there, I pulled my pitch shot a bit, setting up two putts and another double.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. Nice drive to the left side of the fairway, leaving 70 yards to the flag. Lob wedge inexplicably slid right under the ball, despite the tight lie. Now I faced a 35 yard shot with the same club. Carried it past the hole to make sure I cleared a front bunker, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Narrowest hole on the course, I pulled one slightly into some long but wispy fescue. Pitched back to the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge was good, but didn't quite reach the hole. Made a nice lag and easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 140 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Pushed it a hair right of the flag, hitting the bank above a bunker and rolling backwards into it. Mediocre sand shot just got out. Putt from the fringe had more break than I thought, leaving a longer bogey putt than I would have liked. Burned the edge and took a double-bogey.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. The hole was playing shorter than listed and I started with a perfect drive right down the pipe. My second shot was a 150-yard 8-iron into the heart of the green. I challenged the hole on the eagle putt, setting up an easy tap-in for birdie.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. This hole was also playing shorter than advertised. My drive was pretty good, but very close to the left edge of the fairway. I was only 210 yards away from the green, but blocked out by some trees. I hit 7-iron and ended up just 30 yards from the green. After a weak chip shot, I 3-putt for bogey. Wasted opportunity.
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. No wind at play, so I hit 8-iron to below the hole. The birdie putt was fairly lengthy with quite a bit of left to right break. Burned the edge, leaving a tricky 4-footer from above the hole that I judged perfectly for par.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive reached some fescue near a pond on the right side. Took a big hack with the lob wedge and was surprised how clean it came out. From the left edge of the fairway, I hit sand wedge to the front of the green. My second putt was curling to the hole, but wiggled in the opposite direction at the last second. Double-bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. My drive was almost too good on this hole. It's a slight dogleg right and I finished in the left rough, 100 yards from the pin. The ground was bumpy behind my ball and I duffed one a few yards ahead. Second try with the sand wedge got to the green and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it left of the green. I always, always hook this shot for some reason. Luckily, the ball came to rest in an open spot of wispy fescue. I pitched on and almost saved par, but needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. I pulled my drive left, managing to bounce over a bunker, but was now blocked out by some trees. I punched a 5-iron about 50 yards to the right fairway. From 210 yards, I had a good angle to the green and opted for 3-iron. That's my 200-yard club, so I wasn't expecting to reach the green. It was a good shot. Nice pitch gave me a chance to save par, but I burned an edge and took bogey instead.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Mis-hit a 7-iron, coming up 20 yards short of the green. Horrible chip to the front pin location didn't even reach the green. Putting through five feet of fringe, I blasted the ball past the hole, requiring two more putts to finish with a double-bogey. Should have been no worse than bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, I eased up on the driver a bit and hit a baby cut to the left side of the green, flag-high. Oh baby! Unfortunately, I had a downhill putt with lots of break. I made a terrific attempt and almost made it. Tap-in gave me a birdie!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a 5-wood that I sort of sliced, stopping 25 yards short of the green. A fabulous pitch to a back pin location left an uphill 6-footer that I drained for my second birdie in a row!
Hole 17 (Par 3) – 122 yards. Another carry over water, much like hole #9. This one was much shorter, but the pin was tucked way right in the most dangerous position. Water wraps around 3 sides of the green there. Ignoring the pin position, I hit a solid gap wedge to the centre of the green. I had perfect weight on the long lag, but saw break where there was none. Got robbed on my par putt, which was a great read, and settled for a 3-putt bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Beautiful drive down the centre of the fairway. I had 170 yards to the flag, which was at the front of the green. A 6-iron was hit well, but leaked to the right side, where there is a large pond. The ball barely got over, stopping on the bank near the water's edge. A decent pitch carried past the hole, but I used 2 putts to take par.
With 40 putts in total, it seems like I putted terribly. In fact, this was one of my better putting performances. I was knocking the ball close from distance with regularity. It's just that none of them dropped for me. I must have had 6 balls stop on the edge of the lip. If not for that, this could have been even more special.
Score: 86
Putts: 40
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
Hole 1 (Par 4) – 295 yards. Perfect 5-wood off the tee to the right centre of the fairway. Easy sand wedge from 90 yards to a pin tucked near the extreme right side of the green. My birdie putt from 10 feet was tracking right to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip. Par result.
Hole 2 (Par 3) – 170 yards. Playing more like 150 yards, I hooked an 8-iron near the #3 teeing ground. The ball was unplayable in the fescue, so I took a penalty. I bumped a shot near the front pin position, leaving about 12 feet for bogey. Great putt broke to the centre of the hole and stopped on the lip again. Double-bogey.
Hole 3 (Par 4) – 360 yards. 5-wood off the tee was just off the right side of the fairway, but I had an open path to the pin and a good lie. Hooked an 8-iron into the trees left of the green. Penalty stroke and a drop ensued. From there, I pulled my pitch shot a bit, setting up two putts and another double.
Hole 4 (Par 4) – 379 yards. Nice drive to the left side of the fairway, leaving 70 yards to the flag. Lob wedge inexplicably slid right under the ball, despite the tight lie. Now I faced a 35 yard shot with the same club. Carried it past the hole to make sure I cleared a front bunker, then 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 5 (Par 4) – 400 yards. Narrowest hole on the course, I pulled one slightly into some long but wispy fescue. Pitched back to the fairway, leaving 100 yards to the flag. Sand wedge was good, but didn't quite reach the hole. Made a nice lag and easy tap-in for bogey.
Hole 6 (Par 4) – 352 yards. Great 5-wood off the tee to the left half of the fairway. 140 yards away and the best possible angle into the green. Pushed it a hair right of the flag, hitting the bank above a bunker and rolling backwards into it. Mediocre sand shot just got out. Putt from the fringe had more break than I thought, leaving a longer bogey putt than I would have liked. Burned the edge and took a double-bogey.
Hole 7 (Par 5) – 463 yards. The hole was playing shorter than listed and I started with a perfect drive right down the pipe. My second shot was a 150-yard 8-iron into the heart of the green. I challenged the hole on the eagle putt, setting up an easy tap-in for birdie.
Hole 8 (Par 5) – 514 yards. This hole was also playing shorter than advertised. My drive was pretty good, but very close to the left edge of the fairway. I was only 210 yards away from the green, but blocked out by some trees. I hit 7-iron and ended up just 30 yards from the green. After a weak chip shot, I 3-putt for bogey. Wasted opportunity.
Hole 9 (Par 3) – 149 yards. All carry over water. No wind at play, so I hit 8-iron to below the hole. The birdie putt was fairly lengthy with quite a bit of left to right break. Burned the edge, leaving a tricky 4-footer from above the hole that I judged perfectly for par.
Hole 10 (Par 4) – 415 yards. Weak slicing drive reached some fescue near a pond on the right side. Took a big hack with the lob wedge and was surprised how clean it came out. From the left edge of the fairway, I hit sand wedge to the front of the green. My second putt was curling to the hole, but wiggled in the opposite direction at the last second. Double-bogey.
Hole 11 (Par 4) – 378 yards. My drive was almost too good on this hole. It's a slight dogleg right and I finished in the left rough, 100 yards from the pin. The ground was bumpy behind my ball and I duffed one a few yards ahead. Second try with the sand wedge got to the green and I 2-putt for bogey.
Hole 12 (Par 3) – 146 yards. Played to miss short and right with the pitching wedge, but hooked it left of the green. I always, always hook this shot for some reason. Luckily, the ball came to rest in an open spot of wispy fescue. I pitched on and almost saved par, but needed a tap-in for bogey.
Hole 13 (Par 5) – 567 yards. A true 3-shotter. I pulled my drive left, managing to bounce over a bunker, but was now blocked out by some trees. I punched a 5-iron about 50 yards to the right fairway. From 210 yards, I had a good angle to the green and opted for 3-iron. That's my 200-yard club, so I wasn't expecting to reach the green. It was a good shot. Nice pitch gave me a chance to save par, but I burned an edge and took bogey instead.
Hole 14 (Par 3) – 186 yards. Mis-hit a 7-iron, coming up 20 yards short of the green. Horrible chip to the front pin location didn't even reach the green. Putting through five feet of fringe, I blasted the ball past the hole, requiring two more putts to finish with a double-bogey. Should have been no worse than bogey.
Hole 15 (Par 4) – 268 yards. A short par-4 that I've reached from the tee before. This time, I eased up on the driver a bit and hit a baby cut to the left side of the green, flag-high. Oh baby! Unfortunately, I had a downhill putt with lots of break. I made a terrific attempt and almost made it. Tap-in gave me a birdie!
Hole 16 (Par 5) – 523 yards. Controlled drive to the left side of the fairway started things out. Next, a 5-wood that I sort of sliced, stopping 25 yards short of the green. A fabulous pitch to a back pin location left an uphill 6-footer that I drained for my second birdie in a row!
Hole 17 (Par 3) – 122 yards. Another carry over water, much like hole #9. This one was much shorter, but the pin was tucked way right in the most dangerous position. Water wraps around 3 sides of the green there. Ignoring the pin position, I hit a solid gap wedge to the centre of the green. I had perfect weight on the long lag, but saw break where there was none. Got robbed on my par putt, which was a great read, and settled for a 3-putt bogey.
Hole 18 (Par 5) – Beautiful drive down the centre of the fairway. I had 170 yards to the flag, which was at the front of the green. A 6-iron was hit well, but leaked to the right side, where there is a large pond. The ball barely got over, stopping on the bank near the water's edge. A decent pitch carried past the hole, but I used 2 putts to take par.
With 40 putts in total, it seems like I putted terribly. In fact, this was one of my better putting performances. I was knocking the ball close from distance with regularity. It's just that none of them dropped for me. I must have had 6 balls stop on the edge of the lip. If not for that, this could have been even more special.
Score: 86
Putts: 40
Fairways: 10
Greens: 7
Penalties: 2
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